As One
by crimson wombat
Summary: SEX! now that i have your attantion i'll also add a little something about the blood and guts and now i'll tell you that this story is very good my little jubjubs so please read i'm not alone on this so i can be so bold the relationships are mostly or all
1. Default Chapter

Chapter 1:

**Tno: Welcome my little Wombats (no I don't live in Australia) to this the first chapter of the first story of the As One trilogy. Yes yes my friends. I can tell you now that there will be more. And this, my friends is the first. Now, for Drago-Kai, I apologize for having abandoned my previous story, 'Warriors of the North' but I now give you this, which is the modified version of that story, which Clarence and I have been promising you for months. Well guess what my little Emu, IT'S HERE. And don't worry, yes Clarence is here to and she should be joining me at the end of this chapter. I hope you like it.**

Chapter 1:

The blue hared boy leaned back lazily on the grassy slope. It had been ages since he'd just relaxed like this, no worries. He sighed blissfully, a blade of grass in his teeth. The remainder of his team by his side. Tyson was certainly content.

"Hey Ray?" A blond boy to Tyson's right sat up suddenly. His eyes were as blue as the river below them and though he, like the others, was 17, he had always had a more boyish appearance. He looked inquiringly over Tyson to the boy on his other side, whose eyes were an abnormal shade of amber. He had beautiful soft black hair that was longer than most girls did and was tied into a lion's tail by a long white ribbon of material. "Ray?" The blond pressed, watching Ray's daydream state with a knowing smirk.

"What?" Ray turned to him, waking from his spaceyness.

"So who is she this time?" Max (the blond) grinned.

"None of your business, so what is it?"

"Have you heard from Kai recently?" Max shrugged.

"He's coming by tomorrow." Ray answered settling back into his thoughts of his new infatuation. Ray had come into his 'teen hood' with grace and an uncanny ability to seduce most of the girls he met. (No he's not a player, he has better manners than that, but he could be if he wanted to).

"Where does he go off to anyway?" Tyson wondered aloud.

"Maybe he's got some secret love." Max laughed.

"Right, the day Kai gets laid is the day I cut my hair." Ray grinned.

"He's way too much of a jackass." Tyson agreed decidedly.

"TYSON!" A voice cried from the street above their heads, the person sounded distressed and out of breath.

"That's Kenny." Ray cocked his head to the side (one of his sexy traits).

"Yeah!" Max sat up again, swiveling around to look up the riverbank.

"YO KENNY! DOWN HERE!" Tyson cried.

"TYSON. THEY'RE GONNA TRY TO KILL YOU!"

"He can look after himself." Tyson turned around really quickly and proceeded to crawl down the ever so grassy slope. Max grabbed the back of his shirt, and with unexpected strength heaved Tyson back up the hill.

"Oh no you don't. Kenny needs help." He glared at him; his usually happy eyes now seemed clouded over and stormy. "Right Ray?" But Ray was already gone. He jumped into the air launching a blade at the ground in front of him. (Notice that he still doesn't have a clue who's chasing Kenny, and that I am terrible with blading scenarios so there won't be many I promise you, and that by now Kenny has probably run by the river at least five times in hopes of rescue unless he were caught, so on with the story).

"All right, but Kenny owes me big time for this." Tyson groaned, fitting his blade to his launcher. "I am supposed to be retired you know." He added.

"That's what Kai said last time, but he came back." Max grinned. They ran up the slope as the sound of metal on metal was heard. They looked over to see a small steel object trying desperately to slice through Ray's head as he, in turn defended himself with Driger (for those who don't know, that's his blade). The enemy blade was backed by a couple of men dressed in the hilarious uniform of an organization that the boys knew all too well. (I'll give you a hint, they all wear long black robes, you can't seem to ever see their eyes and they have the most entertaining hats ever. I want one really).

"WHAT THE FUCK ARE BALKOV SOLDIERS DOING HERE?" Tyson shouted to Ray. He was thus ignored seeing as how Ray was trying to concentrate on not being decapitated. Tyson and Max both launched their blades, before they finally looked around seeing that a certain someone happened to be missing.

"Hey, where's Kenny?" Max frowned before ducking to avoid a literal 'head' on collision with a Balkov blade.

Just off the side of the road, concealed behind the foliage of many luckily very lush bushes, Kenny shook with fear whimpering while a hand covered his mouth. He had yet to see his new captors but was listening intently to their conversation.

"Fat load of good those toys will do." One voice (female) was saying.

"They're gonna get killed if their not careful, those guys aren't here to play games." another said in a more worried tone. "We have to go NOW!"

"Enni said to wait for the fourth one so I ain't budging." A third voice replied. (All three are female by the way).

"Well we don't have to wait long." The first voice said again.

Meanwhile, Tyson was getting pummeled, Max was trying hard to get rid of the onslaught of blades, and Ray was trying hard to go on the offensive. Of coarse he was failing miserably or this story would go nowhere.

"Now?" The second girl whispered.

"Not yet." The third replied cautiously.

No one outside had noticed the figure show up behind the soldiers aside from Ray who grinned.

"Oh you picked the wrong day to get on our bad side." He laughed as something hit one of the soldiers on the back of the head, they turned around to see a crimson eyed boy of the same age (if not older) as the others, his two toned blue hair was messily arranged on his head. He had recently forsaken his trademark blue triangles on his cheeks for the smooth blue stone on his ear.

In the next instant half of the soldiers (there were around six) had turned around to confront the new individual. Ray left Max and Tyson and leapt over to Kai's side.

"I thought you weren't coming until tomorrow." He said quietly his mind on how to get out of this

"I'm here now so don't complain." He grunted in reply. "What started this anyway?" Kai slid backwards as one of the enemies whacked him in the chest with their blade.

"We heard Kenny screaming." Tyson answered from the other side. "Hey, where the HELL is he?" Tyson cried realization striking him VERY slowly. Then the soldier's blades stopped spinning and just lay there in the dirt. The boys looked up confused as they took out long knives and swords that happened to look very sharp and threatening.

"Now?" The second girl in the bushes almost screamed.

"NOW!" The first ordered, and Kenny felt the earth leave him as he was flung into the air along with his captors. The three girls, and Kenny, landed right in the middle of everything no less and everyone stopped for a moment in stunned surprise.

The girl silencing Kenny's screams was slightly taller than the other two; her authoritative air was completely unmistakable in her green eyes. She pushed her brown hair over her shoulder; it's blond streaks catching the sun. Next to her stood an innocent looking (LOOKING) blond, her hair cut just above her shoulders, her eyes, a slightly paler blue than Max's darted around, trying to register every detail of her surroundings. The other girl, to the blonde's right, stood tensely watching the soldiers, acting as though the Blade Breakers didn't even exist really. One of her dark green eyes was hidden behind her reddish bangs. The rest of her hair fell down between her shoulder blades, the underneath being died black.

"HEY! Let Kenny go!" Max cried.

"Sure, if you want him dead." The redhead smiled, shrugging.

"Say what?" Tyson wished he could jump over and tear Kenny away from these chicks from hell. (Tyson thinks that he can call them chicks I think he's got another thing coming).

"Well, we were going to come looking for you after we'd killed off the Blade Breakers. But you just made our job that much easier." One of the soldiers said softly. "Boris has been very disappointed with his specimens, you shouldn't have run away."

The boy's weren't sure they understood what they were hearing, but they could easily figure out that the girls were not allies of the Balkov soldiers.

The blond cringed at the word specimen clenching her fists in either rage or pain. She didn't want to take this anymore, she couldn't. She let out a scream that seemed to shake the planet. A white light surrounding her was soon replaced by a colorful light that made it look like they were seeing her through water. Her image shuddered momentarily and then the waves of water-like light shot upwards coming back down on top of itself, creating a small tidal wave around her. Somewhere in the back of her mind, she could hear her two friends calling to her through her watery fortress walls.

Meanwhile the brown-hared girl had been trying to get to her friend, it was to early for her to let herself go like that. She had to try and restrain herself.

"GWEN!" She called urgently.

"Uh, Sid, this is really not the time." Her red-haired counterpart said nervously, watching all six of the soldiers leave the Blade Breakers and charge at the girls. Sid turned around in time to leap out of the way of a sword aimed for her head. She was luckier than her friend though, the redhead crouched in defense as four of the soldiers came at her, and she dodged them as best she could. A knife occasionally grazing her arms and legs, cutting through her clothes and skin.

"Hey Ari. You O.K.?" Sid asked jumping beside her.

"I'm fine, but if this doesn't work, Enni won't be." She suddenly glanced at the ground near the wall of water around Gwen. Kenny lay in the fetal position, his arms covering his head.

"TYSON! GET HIM TO THE SIDE!" Sid ordered.

"Hey how the heck do you know who I am?" Tyson retorted to the girl who was watching the circle of men around them as it slowly began to close in.

"You're only a world famous blader whose egotistical mug has been on every TV on the planet. I honestly don't have a clue." Ari retorted sarcastically.

"She has point." Max sighed as Tyson grabbed his arm dragging him into the battle. They ran to Kenny's trembling form, and looked up to see that a couple of soldiers had left the waiting circle around the girls and were coming at them with weapons raised.

"Oh no, we're gonna die." Tyson winced, bracing himself for the blow that never came. He allowed himself to glance up to where Ray had one attacker in a full nelson and Kai stood over the unconscious body of the other. Ray grabbed the back of his captive's neck a pressed on a certain area and his body went limp. Ray let go of the soldier who slumped to the floor.

"Thanks guys." Max smiled. The smile vanished when he saw a third soldier coming up behind his friends, He leapt up and tackled the guy before he could come near enough to get a good hit.

During the entire battle Gwen had completely lost her grip on the world and was safely hidden inside herself behind the barriers of water.

'_Let me out.'_ She heard a familiar voice inside her head say. She knew this voice all too well and loved it very much but…

'I can't Ceridwen. Not yet.' Gwen answered sadly.

'_Then release yourself, your friends need all the help they can get.'_ The voice answered understandingly. At that moment, Gwen snapped into reality, feeling it hit her like a slap in the face. She felt something wrench itself from somewhere deep down inside and she screamed again in agony. The water around her began to build up strength, pushing against the mental dam restraining it. Finally Gwen let it go and it was like an eruption in the earth's core as the water and light exploded around her carrying rocks and debris with it.

"GET OUT OF THE WAY!" Ari cried, grabbing Ray's arm, he turned away from his current battle to get the shock of his life as a crushing wave began to descend on him. He felt a harsh tug as Ari wrenched him to the side, Sid kicked Max and Kai to the ground diving next to them, Tyson and Kenny, having long ago escaped from the brawl were already covering their heads and praying for their lives. A moment later everything stopped, and a deadly silence feel on them. They all turned back to see a wide circle of destruction, the corpses of the soldiers, their robes clinging to their dead bodies, lay sprawled on the ground. Most of them had been crushed and their limbs and necks lay at sickening angles. A couple had a pinkish substance around their mouths signifying they had drowned. Gwen had collapsed in the middle of it all, her wet and stringy hair was splayed out around her head and she looked sick.

Ari and Sid ran to their friend's side helping her up. As soon as she came too she immediately threw up huge quantities of blood, her face going paler than normal (which is next to impossible, believe me).

"Hey our blades." Tyson cried looking around. Kai looked at his feet fear filling him suddenly. All he could see were small pieces of metal. To anyone else they would be unrecognizable but Kai had grown up with his blade and he could make it out in any form. He looked around frantically but couldn't even see a fragment of the bit at the center, the bit that held his beloved Drawnzer. Ray had long figured out the Driger was no longer on his smashed blade and he searched the rubble frantically for any sign of the bit.

"Did I kill anyone?" Gwen slurred semi conscious.

"No." Sid whispered the white lie as Gwen smiled in appreciation. She knew Sid was lying but as long as it was to help her she didn't care. "Ari what are you doing?" Sid looked up to see Ari bent on one knee her fingers gliding over something embedded in the dirt.

"Well look at what I found." She grinned, using a piece of splintered wood nearby to pry away the four small circular images of four mythic beasts. She smiled and showed them to Sid.

"HEY BOYS!" She called and pointed to Ari's hand, "Lose something?" A grin spread over her face as they ran over, hope plastered to their faces. Tyson was the first to reach her eagerly snatching up his Dragoon. Max picked up the others, staring at his Draceil in amazement as he handed the last two over the Kai and Ray.

"How did they all survive the attack?" Max asked more to himself then anything.

"I'm more interested in how she was able to do what she just did." Kai turned to look at Gwen. She didn't even notice, she couldn't move or see anything clearly.

"We'll explain all that later, right now we have to get out of here." Sid retorted, trying to pick up Gwen. There was a shuffling behind them and they looked over to see a crippled Balkov soldier moving slowly, his arms and legs were broken but he was otherwise fine.

Ari picked up a fallen knife, aiming it for the man on the ground but Ray stayed her hand. She growled and looked at him angrily.

"What do you think you're doing?" She snapped, wrenching her hand away.

"There's been enough killing today." He shook his head.

"He won't give up if we leave him. He'll bring more." Sid retorted, and as though to punctuate her point the soldier took a walky-talky from his comrade's hand and began to shout into it in Russian. Ari didn't wait for Sid's nod but slung the knife stabbing him in the chest, just under the sternum. He choked for a minute and then collapsed, as dead as the others. Ari turned away; her actions lately had been making her sick to her stomach. But the killing was getting easier; she wasn't throwing up anymore now anyway. Sid knew how Ari was feeling so she tried again to lift her friend. "Kai, could you give me a hand?" She asked the closest person to her. Kai reluctantly leaned over and easily picked the girl up princess style. "Come on Ari. Let's get out of here." She smiled slightly putting her arm around her friend's shoulders. It was then that she noticed the blood slowly oozing from Ari's cuts but she didn't say anything. They would have to bandage her up when they were somewhere relatively safe.

Sid had convinced Tyson to take them to his place and as they approached the front door, Tyson saw someone whom he hadn't seen in long while. This boy's hair was so light blond it was almost white. His tired eyes were the same shade as Max's, as he turned to look at them as they came up the road and Tyson almost jumped for joy.

"ENRIQUE!" He cried running over but as they came closer Enrique's look of calmness completely transformed into concern. He began to run down to them.

"Oh my god what happened?" He cried and Tyson grinned.

"It's O.K. We're all good, just a little fight…"He laughed as Enrique rushed past him to where Kai was still holding Gwen.

"Sid what happened?" He asked.

"She kinda lost it." Sid mumbled.

"You girls really need to learn some control over your selves." He shook his head, feeling Gwen's pulse and glancing at Ari. "And look at you, you're covered in blood. It's a wonder you can still walk." He chastised. Tyson watched this in utter confusion like his teammates.

"I'm fine." She lied, her vision had been getting blurrier by the minute and if hadn't been for Sid who still had her arm around her shoulders she probably would have fainted.

"Tyson we need your first aid kit and a hell of a lot of pain killers." Enrique cried.

"Don't need to tell us twice." Max saluted dragging Tyson and Kenny inside while Kai and Ray helped the others up the street.

Ari winced in pain, gripping her head, true to her predictions, as soon as Sid had tried to let her walk on her own, Ari had fainted cold. She felt a searing fire burning through her shoulder and reached up, tracing a thick scar that ran from the nape of her neck to her collarbone. She gasped and sat up, realizing all to late this was a bad idea. She looked around; her vision was still pretty hazy as she stared at the wooden dogo walls.

"How are you feeling?" A voice said from the corner. The question sounded more like it was said for conversation than interest and she looked in the direction it came from. Kai sat in the corner his eyes hidden under his bangs.

"Where's Gwen?" She retorted.

"Do you always answer a questions with another question?" He shot back.

"Do you always ask questions which such a lack of enthusiasm?" She glared.

"Gwen's in the next room, and she's still unconscious to my knowledge." He sighed. "And in case you haven't noticed, I'm not a very enthusiastic person."

"Yeah, well in case you haven't noticed I have felt better." Ari answered shifting to lean her back against the wall. "And…" She continued using her hands to try and stand up. "No I don't always answer questions with more questions." She said wincing some more as she tried to push herself up.

"You shouldn't be getting up yet." Was all he said.

"I'll be the judge of that." She retorted. She shook furiously feeling everyone of her cuts scream at her in protest. She closed her eyes and ignored them until she felt two hands on her shoulders gently pushing her back down. She glared at Kai angrily as her muscles gave way and she surrendered. She had lost too much blood and the pounding in her head was almost deafening. She turned away, angry at her own weakness. "Don't touch me." She muttered and he let go of her.

"Then don't try anything stupid." he retorted and left.

Later that day, Ari was finally able to walk shakily over to Gwen's room where Sid and Enrique were assembled. Sid looked up when she entered the room and frowned.

"You shouldn't be walking." She said sternly.

"And you're starting to sound like Kai." She retorted, clearly feeling much better now. She knelt down on the floor looking at her friend. Gwen was so pale and still, she looked as though she were dead. But she was listening intently to everything, although she couldn't move or speak, she could still hear. And she sat in the darkness of her mind, listening to her friends.

"How is she?" Ari asked. "Did she move or anything yet?"

"Not even a twitch." Enrique answered.

"Well it's not like it's the first time. I'm surprised all three of us didn't burst." Sid said.

'_Enni's really worried about you.'_ Ceridwen whispered.

'I know and I wish I could do something about it but I can't right now. I can't even open my eyes.' Gwen retorted.

'_That's not true. You only think you can't.'_ Ceridwen said. _'How do you think Ari got up this fast?'_

'She's a fast healer.' Gwen mumbled.

'_No, she actually listens to Taranis and she lets him help her.'_ Ceridwen answered. _'So listen to me and get up.'_

Gwen's eyes opened slowly and she glanced over at her bedside where her friends sat in a circle talking. With a huge dose of determination she forced herself to sit up rubbing her aching forehead.

"Good morning." She whispered when they turned around.

"Ha!" Enni laughed patting her hair "You've been out since yesterday, its night time now, you loon." He grinned.

"Wow. That's messed up." She smiled and looked at Ari.

"I'm fine." Ari shook her head before Gwen could ask. "I woke up this morning."

The door slid open and Tyson walked in with a couple of plates of food for Sid and Enni. He was surprised to see Ari there, and even more surprised to see that Gwen was up.

"I better get some more food." he smiled as his teammates followed him into the room.

"I thought I told you not to get up." Kai said.

"And I told you I'd be the judge of that." Ari retorted, refusing to look at him or otherwise acknowledge his existence.

"How you feeling?" Max smiled at the girl on the floor, and then cocked his head to he side, studying her face "I've seen you somewhere before." He decided.

"There's no way. I've never met you in my life." Gwen shook her head. "You must be thinking of someone else."

"Well Max has met a lot of people, it wouldn't be unlikely." Ray added. He didn't seem quite as cheerful as the other day.

"Penny for you thoughts?" Sid raised an eyebrow.

"It's nothing. I better get you girls something to eat." He added, leaving.

The other three sat down on the floor with them and waited for Ray to come back. When her did he handed Ari and Gwen two plates HEAPED with food. Ari looked surprised.

"It looks great." She smiled "But I'm not really hungry." She said handing the plate to Tyson.

"Oh don't start that bullshit again." Enni retorted.

"You're gonna screw up your metabolism." Sid added.

"I'm just not hungry." She said quietly.

"Me neither actually." Gwen added in a whisper.

"Not you too." Enni growled.

"Uh what's going on?" Max asked looking from one to the other.

"We just don't feel like eating, is there something wrong with that?"

"YES!" Sid cried. "You have both just been incredibly sick so you need to build up your strength."

"Well we can't eat when the visions of the people we killed keep running through our heads." Gwen cried and then shut-up bluntly and lay down, tears in her eyes.

Ari looked sick. She didn't want to think about it anymore. She wasn't throwing up, but that was the easy bit. She had yet to get over the nightmares, the guilt and the memories. Enni sighed and draped his arms over their shoulders.

"Look. Nothing you can do can bring them back and it was a question of your life or theirs." He didn't look at either of them. "So it's no use starving over this." He said and Sid reached for their plates.

"At least have some bread." She coaxed. And the girls accepted.

"If I get sick it's your fault." Gwen said as Sid smiled, knowing she wouldn't. They sat back in silence for a moment. The Blade Breakers had been mostly indifferent up till now but at this point they figured it was the best time to start asking questions.

"Sooo…" Ray began, wondering how to put this nicely.

"Mind telling us what's going on?" Kai almost sneered.

**Tno: Hey Hey Hey. So how did you like his first modified chappie of the AS ONE trilogy. (And if you're nice, I'll even throw in the epilogue). But believe me that won't be for a long time my little Wombats. Now as promised, my partner in crime and the inspiration for Gwen, as well as for at least half the story: (drum roll please) _I Give You…CLARENCE_**

**Clarence: hey people it's been a while. So I hope you enjoy the new and improved version of As One: Gwen's Story, formally known as Warriors of the North. So read and review (flames are welcome and will be laughed at ) see you in the next chappie!**


	2. chapter 2

Chapter 2:

**Tno: Well, we are back my little wombats and back with a few answers I might add. As you can see, we couldn't exactly tell you everything in the first chapter because that would be all too easy. And believe me, some answers may lead to even more questions because I love to cause mental agony to each little Emu who reads my stories. So I might as well tell you now that the future relationships may not be, as they seem. Only I can know who will truly end up together in the end. And I love adding an extra twist to every turn now and again. But my little wombats, you will just have to read through the story to understand what all this truly means. And now on to Clarence…**

**Clarence: hey people, how's it hanging? Well, here is the second chapter in this (if I do say so myself) wonderful story. I hope you enjoy and once you're done reading, don't forget to click on that pretty purple button and tell us what a great job we're doing and how much you love our story because it is so good and you can't wait for more… cough cough yes well on with the story.**

Chapter 2:

"Mind telling us what's going on." Kai almost sneered.

"Yes actually." Ari hissed and Sid kicked her lightly.

"We can't tell you everything now." She said quietly.

"Why not?" Tyson frowned.

"That's for us to know and you to wonder about little boy blue." Gwen retorted still holding her head, and trying to eat lying down. (A daunting task for even the better of us).

"Then let's start by who you are maybe?" Kai said sarcastically.

"I'm Gwenevere." Gwen sighed. "This is Arianrhod, and Sienna. And you've met Enni before."

"O.K., now could you explain what happened back there?" Ray folded his arms.

"We could…" Enni began.

"The guys back there as you well know were Balkov soldiers." Sid cut him off before he could make their lives any more difficult. "And as you figured out they're out to kill you, we still have to understand out why. Anyway they've been chasing us for some time now, and then they just stopped."

"That's when we found out that they figured killing you would be easier than hunting us so they'd get the easy job done first." Ari continued. "That meant you were part of a puzzle we've been trying to understand for the past few years."

"So that's why they were trying to kill you people over there by the river." Gwen finished. "And that's why we have to get you out of here as soon as me and Ari are better." Kenny had been pretty silent up till now, but when Gwen finished the explanation he looked up.

"Aren't you forgetting something?" He said looking at the Blade Breakers.

"Like how you did all that crazy water stuff." Max added.

"I don't know what you're talking about." Gwen gave him a fake smile.

"Must have been her evil twin." Ari shook her head.

"I knew we should have kept her chained up in the basement." Enni grinned shaking his head.

"We're still waiting for the REAL answer." Ray said, he's a pretty patient person, considering how long he spends meditating, but right now he doesn't have much to spare. Sid sighed knowing they wouldn't rest until they got at least the basic outline of an answer.

"The thing is, Gwen, Ari and I…" She faltered, not knowing how to put this. "After we were born are parents consented to an operation that was happening at the time. It was well known that the stones that held what you call 'bit beasts' were being hunted and well…used badly. The BBA scientist had then decided that it was no longer safe to hide the spirits inside blades. So they launched 'Operation S' which is short for operation 'Sidhe'." Sid explained.

"This was a Gaelic term for 'spirit', and the operation was to try a new method of saving the spirits. Instead of hiding them in blades, they were going to try and conceal them inside humans." Ari continued. "But they needed human babies so that we would be young enough for our bodies to fully accept having a second presence." Ari stopped and turned to Enni.

"However, considering how many black market organizations were trying to get the stones, they didn't have enough time to work out all the bugs." He said quietly. His usual humor absent. "Many of the babies died so they were forced to stop the experiment. But those who survived, have been trying to cope with they're incredible bit beast abilities. Most of the registered ones we've come across are too scared to even touch a blade in case they went nuts. However, most like these girls love their second presence more than life itself. They have killed to keep their spirits safe." Enni finished and looked at the utterly speechless group of boys. Suddenly, Kenny took out his laptop and began to type at it furiously.

"Would you mind repeating that for me?" He asked half-aware of what he was saying.

"Are you joking?" Was all Max could utter, but the looks on the faces of the girls and what he had witnessed earlier answered his question.

"The BBA authorized an untested operation on babies." Ray couldn't really believe this.

"It was actually authorized by someone you all know very well." Sid added, and the boys didn't even need t ask.

"Mr. Dickenson?" Tyson gasped, watching Sid's solemn nod. Kai was thoughtful, he knew the workings of Balkov Abbey all too well, and something wasn't fitting into place. If there were so many other people who had been experimented on, then why would Boris only go after them?

"You aren't registered are you?" He asked.

"Wow, you figured that out all by yourself." Ari smiled, she was actually enjoying their confusion.

"Why not?" Kenny was still typing away and chatting non-stop to the bit beast in his computer, Dizzy. (Now I know most of you know and love Dizzy, but she isn't really important or relevant to this story so I'm not going into that O.K.).

"For our own reasons." Gwen whispered. Enni patted her head and threw a blanket over her.

"I think we should all get some rest." He said. "Especially if we're all going to be flying to Canada tomorrow night." He added slipping in another twist.

"We're going to CANADA." Tyson practically shrieked. "But what about my blade. I have to completely rebuild it from the ground up."

"I thought you were supposed to be retired." Sid smiled, which made Tyson stop for a minute.

"Don't worry." Enni sighed. "I lost mine some time ago." He reached into his shirt and pulled out a long chain with his own bit dangling on the end.

"Besides we need to hide somewhere safe, really soon." Sid added.

"I'll go get my stuff from the other room." Ari said, attempting to stand weakly. Kai growled angrily but she ignored him.

"Sid, you might wanna stop her before she really hurt herself." He sneered, walking by them.

"He's right you know." She said.

"The day I listen to that jerk is the day I've fallen in love with him." Ari retorted.

"Well you can guarantee that won't happen." Gwen giggled, half asleep. "If you fall in love it will be a miracle." Ari gave her a deathly glare and walked slowly out of the room. She turned the corner and almost ran into Ray who was holding her stuff.

"Here, it'll save you the trip." He smiled and handed her the blankets. She looked at them in mild surprise.

"Uh…thanks." She smiled and went back to the room.

"That was fast." Enni grinned. "Ray help you?" Ari nodded. "He's a good guy. A bit of a flirt but otherwise harmless."

"That reminds me of someone else I know." Gwen mumbled, her face buried in her pillow.

"Anyway, it's time for us all to sleep now." Sid ordered.

"Yes mother." Ari rolled her eyes and flopped down onto her pile of blankets.

"Smart ass." Sid hissed under her breath.

The morning came with a flurry of activity, as the 'Fades' (as the girls had called themselves), ushered the blade breakers to prepare for their 'trip'. There was a lot of cussing as they boys scurried to pack at least a carryon before the girls practically kicked them down the street. Gwen and Ari were still feeling a little sour and light headed but they had recovered well. (To well for the blade breakers liking). The boy's didn't want to leave, nor did they really trust the girls who had saved their lives, but the other alternative was a very slow and painful death under the hand of a balkov soldier, armed with a very pointy object of sorts.

"I still don't get why _Canada_." Tyson whined.

"Because it's the only place that is still untouched by either the BBA or Balkov Abbey." Sid explained.

"Do you have something against the BBA?" Tyson sneered and Ray whacked him over the head.

"You idiot, don't you remember the conversation last night." And turned back to Sid winking.

"Uh…Sorry about Tyson, he's not really a morning person." He grinned and she giggled, remembering how Enni had called him a flirt the night before.

"Hey, where did Kenny go?" Enni had been looking through the house for any sign of the laptop loving genius dwarf.

"Oh…Kenny's parent's have always been a little on the touchy side about Kenny leaving them." Max explained. "And chances are he's not going to be leaving to a country where Mr. Dickenson has no control.

"So there's no blading in Canada?" Tyson looked pain stricken. "I think I'd rather dye here."

"No you idiot." Ari groaned. "Of coarse there's beyblading in Canada, but on a smaller scale. It's not the biggest sport there."

"I still opt for dying here." Tyson mumbled as Kai came down the hall with his bag slung over his shoulder.

"The taxi's are here." He said bluntly and watched them all scramble frantically to make sure they had everything since they were told they wouldn't be coming back for a long time.

A couple of minutes latter they were all piled into the two taxis that Tyson's grandfather had generously paid for, or at least he would find out he had when he got home that night. The ride was extremely tedious and they were all glad when they tumbled out of the cars and walked into the lobby of the airport, to be pleasantly surprised by Kenny who had come to bid them adieu.

"I just though I'd wish you luck." He blushed.

"You sure you don't want to come?" Enni grinned.

"I can't, I'm positive." He nodded.

"Well then you're a braver soul than I squirt." Ari patted his shoulder solemnly.

"If you die before we ever get to see you again, we just want you to know, you were the most cooperative person we've ever kidnapped." Gwen pretended to wipe a tear form her eye. Enni smiled and began to hum the tune that soldiers play to honor the dead in his throat. Grinning Sid lead the other's in a final salute as they turned and walk through their gate. The blade breakers watched the scene before them in flabbergasted silence.

"Well Kenny, we'll try and keep in touch buddy." Tyson cried as they ran after the fades.

The plane ride was so long and the wait in Detroit for their transfer seemed even longer. As they boarded the next twenty-minute flight Enni checked his watch reading a tiring 2 a.m. He plopped himself into a chair next to Gwen and within minutes drifted off to sleep. Though it wasn't long, he felt at least a little more rested when he and the others got out of the airport. Enni lead them to the entrance of the multy-story parking lot. There was a small car dealership there and Enni went to the desk, speaking to the manager in hushed tones.

"How much money do you think he's got left?" Ari asked worriedly.

"Well, his dad paid for the cars and his uncle pitched in for the tickets so we should have just enough to tide us over till we can get jobs." Gwen answered quietly.

"We need to find a place to live first." Sid reminded them.

"You mean you girls dragged us down here with just barely enough money to sustain us and without a plan." Max looked scared.

"Look we're not used to staying in one country for more than three weeks so obviously we don't really have a clue what we're doing." Gwen answered as Enni returned with two pairs of keys. Well they're not much but they won't break down." He grinned throwing a pair of keys at Ray as Sid leapt for the other pair. "Oh no you don't, I would have to be crazy to let you drive my dear." He laughed holding the keys high above her head.

7 a.m. found them piled, yet again in tow second hand cars and flying down the highway as they followed the river across the south shore. The early morning hadn't been so bad but now the June sunshine was starting to beat down on them and the air-conditioning was nowhere near enough to cool things off. Ari and Gwen were practically hanging out the back window, letting the wind blow by them and watching the cars and buses, fly by. Finally Enni pulled over to a small diner on the side of the highway and they all stumbled into the cool restaurant with in comprehensible relief.

"O.K., where are we going?" Ray asked, he was getting fed up of driving and of the heat.

"We're going to a town we used to live in." Sid responded. "You'll like it I think. It's kind of quiet but it's not bad."

"I thought Canada was supposed to be a cold country." Tyson gasped whipping the sweat form his forehead with his napkin." The waitress showed up then with a tray of water and an annoyingly cheerful grin.

"What can I get you?" She asked robotically.

"Just some sandwiches." Ari nodded lifting the water to her lips. "I just realized how much I hate water." She grimaced putting the glass down.

"You've hated water for years Ari, it's nothing new." Sid sighed drinking hers thirstily.

"So when I do drink it, things must be bad." She smirked taking another quick swig.

"Here you go." The waitress said coming back, that ever-present smile seemed to be super glued to her face. She handed them all some cheap plates and turned away again still grinning at the air.

"Could that smile get any bigger?" Gwen thought aloud, her voice dull and tired. They all chuckled, even Kai smiled for once.

"Wow, the heat must be getting to you buddy." Tyson said in surprise. Kai simply grunted in response.

Before they left, Ray somehow managed to convince Kai to drive the rest of the way, which was going to take at least another half-hour. And they were off again, the heat still pounding on the metal roves of the cars. Sid leaned her head against the window drowsily and turned to look at Enni. He was sweating profusely as he kept his eyes riveted on the road ahead. He signaled left and turned off the highway, much to the relief of all. He lead them down the quiet and very shady residential streets of the town until he came back out on the main road again which ran right along the top of the river bank.

"Well it's not that different from home I guess." Tyson commented watching the wide expanse of water. It was probably five times bigger than the river in Tyson's hometown and it shimmered under the sunshine, giving off the impression of a beautiful metallic blue snake.

Sid was watching the houses flit by the window checking if there were any for sale signs staked into the front lawns. She bolted up suddenly as one in particular approached.

"Enni stop the car." She ordered and he obliged, pulling over as Sid jumped out nimbly. The boys were piling out of the other car eager for the ride of hell too end.

The girls were standing in the half circle driveway of a tall house that looked to them like it hadn't been touched in years. The rose bushes along the driveway and front walk were practically lying on the ground they were so huge. Vines had crawled up the walls of the building and had almost completely concealed the windows behind their foliage. Lilac trees had completely taken over the front door and the grass had grown into a miniature jungle.

"It's hard to tell there's even a house behind all the plants." Ari said cocking her head to the side and inspecting it. "I like it." She smiled suddenly and turned to Gwen. "What do you think?"

"It's roomy." Gwen smiled. "I think it's great."

"I wonder what made old Mrs. Greenwald sell up?" Sid wondered.

"Well she hasn't sold it yet." Enni pointed to a for sale sign hidden under several rose bush branches. He pulled a cell phone from his jacket pocket and began to dial the number on the splintered wooden board. "Hey, I'm calling about the old Greenwald house, I notice it's up for sale." He said into the phone, turning away and walking over to lean on the car.

"Wow, you girls aren't used to luxury are you?" Tyson said looking up at the house, he found it a little creepy personally but what could he do. This seemed to be the only place that was for sale in the entire town.

"Can Enni actually afford this?" Ray's eyebrow rose as he glanced sideways at Sid.

"Well we're about to find out." She answered as Enni began to walk up to them.

"So?" Gwen asked linking arms with him, Ari grabbing onto his other.

"Well it turns out that Mrs. Greenwald died about nine months ago, don't worry she died in hospital. So she dumped the house on her daughter and she's just been trying to get rid of it since then." Enni sighed looking up at the large house. It was about four stories high if you included the attic; the sun glinted dully off what was visible of the dark windows.

"Wow, I never thought it was possible for Mrs. Greenwald to die. She never seemed to age." Gwen whispered looking at the ground quietly her friends mirroring her.

"Uh, I hate to seem like an emotionless jerk, but what's going on with the house?" Tyson asked.

"Oh right." Enni seemed to snap himself out of his trance and looked up at them. "We're gonna meet with her for dinner later at the restaurant next to that boutique you girls used to love so much." Enni grinned, so till then, whose up for a walk he shrugged. And they started to walk down the street going by a lovely shady space by almost right on the river, right across from a huge old church. An enormous statue of Jesus, his arms spread wide to the river, stood on a pillar in the square in front of the church. (No I'm not religious but this church actually exists so I'm describing it to you). There was an ice-cream parlor just a little ways off and they sacrificed a buck or two to get something to help cool them off as the sat on a couple of benches in the shade, sharing stories of their lives.

The large group walked into the greasy spoon at around 5 p.m. and looked around to see the woman they were looking for who was staring into the dark depths of her cheap coffee.

"Hi." Sid smiled, walking over. The woman looked to be in her late twenties with short black hair and deep brown eyes. "Uh…long time no see."

"Yeah." The woman smiled slightly and then got up and hugged Sid tightly pulling Ari and Gwen into the embrace as well. "How are you girls?"

"Well we're homeless but otherwise fine, and how are you?" Gwen gave her a worried look. Ray and Max looked at each other; this was entirely too lucky that they happened to be buying a house from someone the girls knew. Kai as usual was silent and Tyson…well Tyson was busy drooling over the menu.

"I'm all right." The black-hared woman answered. "I'm actually really looking forward to getting rid of that house so I can go back and live my life in Europe." The woman smiled quietly.

"So what are you selling it for?" Enni asked sitting down. (Now I'm no good with how business deals work so I'm just going to move on to after they got paid for the house).

"Enni, where did you get all that money?" Max asked worriedly as they walked back up the street to the house.

"You remember that my parent's are rich right?" Enni looked at the boy. "Well, my dad has been sending me some money since I went off on this crazy adventure." Enni smiled. "I've been using almost none of it for the past three months."

"Wow, that must have taken some willpower." Tyson said quietly.

They walked up the drive, ducking under thorny branches and pushing past the overgrown lilacs. The somehow managed to find the front door through the massive jungle of green foliage and Enni unlocked the door leading them inside.

The entryway floor had developed a thick layer of dust that rose around their every footstep, and the living room carpet was in desperate need of a good vacuum. All the pieces of furniture were covered with huge white sheets and the setting sun streamed onto them from the window, giving the house that haunting empty feeling. A huge old wooden staircase lead upstairs between the kitchen and living room. Ari grabbed Enni's arm and began to drag him up the steps eagerly.

"Come on, let's check out the attic rooms." She said in a hushed tone, she somehow felt that it was more appropriate to whisper for the moment while she dragged her friend up to the fourth floor. She went slowly to the door at the back of the left-hand side of the last staircase. She had to admit she was spooked, but she wasn't going to say that in front of Enni or especially the guys. Walking into the room she was immediately hit with an almost blinding flash of orange light from the window at the other end. It was a very rectangular room with a closet near the back and the furniture was arranged neatly against the walls. She walked to the window looking down onto the front yard. She opened it slowly and felt the breeze rush into the room, rustling the sheets on the furniture, and disturbing the dust. She turned to the closet door looking at it with intense fear. 'I'm such a fraidy-cat.' She scolded. 'What would Kai say if he saw you now.' Actually, she wouldn't have minded if he were there right then. At least she'd have the courage to open this goddamned door.

"So do you want it?" She jumped at Enni's voice by the door.

"What?" She asked absently.

"Do you want the room?" he asked more clearly as Ari opened the closet, nothing.

"Yeah sure, I guess." She smiled.

Gwen had been almost clinging to Sid as they wandered through the house. She wasn't embarrassed about being afraid in front of the blade breakers. Sid opened one of the doors on the second floor, of which there were four. Wow, these rooms aren't bad she said, her voice echoing off the walls of the large square room. It was very Elizabethan with a wardrobe in the corner rather than a closet and the large window with a view of the river.

"I like it." She whispered whipping the sheet off the bed and coughing at the rising dust. "Wow, this place needs some air she coughed pushing the window open breaking some of the ivy branches restraining it. "That's more like it." she smiled feeling the breeze float through the screen. 'Now let's see what's in here.' She thought and wrenched open the wardrobe doors.

Gwen had lost interest in the room before Sid pulled the sheet off the bed. She wandered back outside and opened the bedroom door nearest her. This one was facing the back yard, which had no fence or any kind of separation from the empty field behind it. The room was also covered in dust, like everything else in the house. She looked around at the moth eaten curtains and sheets, the stained white walls and creaky floorboards.

"And we thought we got a good deal on this place." She sighed. It's gonna cost twice as much just to make it look lived in." She looked around and slowly pulled the sheets away from the furniture piling them on the floor. She finally moved the dresser, or at least that's what she thought it was considering it's odd, shape. She reached up and pulled the cloth down letting out a quick yelp and jumping at her own distorted reflection in the broken mirror that confronted her. 'Silly me, afraid of my own reflection, she almost laughed.' She gathered up the sheets on the floor and walked out, bumping into Ray and dropping them all.

"Oops, sorry about that." He laughed embarrassed and bent to pick them up at the same time as her, bumping heads and falling to the floor, laughing. That was when they heard a shriek from the next room and Sid ran out with a terrified look on her face.

**Tno: Mwahahahaha. What could have set our little Emu off now? I wonder. Oh wait, I don't have to cuz I already know. But you don't. Hehehe. Well anyway I hope you enjoyed this chapter. It's a bit more toned down than the first one, that for sure but that's because you always need some explanations and stuff. And besides, they needed somewhere to live so I got this idea in my head of this big old house but I'm not going to go into my inspiration because when I explain it seems so much less inspiring. And now, Clarence, hi, how are you, whatever, don't care, have I forgotten anything, and your adoring fans await your holy word so speak woman, speak I say. (Lets not forget to review my precious little wombats.)**

**Clarence: so there you have it, the amazing second chapter to our even more amazing story. Hope you enjoyed it, I did. (Yes, yes I know what your all thinking I'm a conceited, harebrained idiot who is extremely full of herself, well I have one thing to say to you… your right!) Well don't forget to review or I might just come after you with a chain saw and/or pitchfork. See ya next chappie!**


	3. chapter 3

Chapter 3:

Tno: Well hello to each and every delightful little kangaroo out there, I love you all dearly, yes yes. But I will love you even more; the more you give me those reviews of which I live for. I hope you have been enjoying the story so far and now we are to find out what has startled out pulchritudinous dear kinkajou named Sid. (As you can see I name all my characters and precious readers after interestingly named animals, so don't bother trying to understand my A/Ns unless you already do). Now on with the answers to my kangaroo's delightful reviews. (And if you don't understand my sophisticated language, then look it up because I'm not going to waist my precious time explaining it to you).

Chapter 3:

That was when they heard a shriek from the next room and Sid ran out with a terrified look on her face. She accidentally tripped on one of the fallen sheets and fell on top of Ray dragging Gwen down with her. (She doesn't do these kinds of things often but when she does it's really quite funny, no offence Sid.)

"Hey, what happened?" Gwen asked worriedly. Sid was about to answer but looked up and saw Ray looking at her in slight surprise.

"Uh…nothing! It's nothing." She blushed getting up.

"Oh really." Ray folded his arms. "I don't believe you." He said walking past her into the room. He came back out a couple of seconds later smirking. "A spider?" He chuckled. "Well I guess we all have the most unexpected weaknesses." He grinned.

"Oh yeah, well what's yours then." Sid asked, feeling ashamed of herself. Ray just smiled and winked.

"Don't worry, your secret's safe with me." He said and went downstairs.

"The group spent the next few hours cleaning up the mountains of dust and attempting to air out the musty rooms. By the time they were done, it already seemed almost ten times better than when they'd first laid eyes on the interior. The outside was still overgrown and almost completely concealed in the massive jungle of leaves and flowers, but they'd survive. They all layback on the couches and on the soft carpet in the living room, worn out.

"I don't think I ever truly realized just how big this place is." Gwen sighed rolling over on her back.

"And you thought we'd have a better chance of surviving here?" Tyson whined, coughing profusely. Ray came and sat down behind Ari, discretely playing with her hair (so he thinks).

"Ray, touch my hair again and I will personally see to it that you won't have anything ELSE to play with in the future." (If you don't get it, then you're slow). Ray immediately dropped Ari's hair and crawled over to Sid.

"But I need those." He grinned and giving Sid a sideways glance. She looked at him quizzically one eyebrow raised. Then, smirking, she got up along with her two friends and they all went to sit around Enni in a very flirtatious manner.

"Sorry Ray. There ain't enough room for two players in this here town." Enni said, making a tough western imitation with his voice. Ray grinned back and got up coming over and holding out his hand.

"You're on." He smiled.

"Say what?" Enni was taken a back slightly, not being exactly sure what Ray meant.

"I'm taking that as a challenge." Ray answered cocking his head to the side. Enni stood up looking stern and faced him with a comical look of fake hatred. They both took a step back and tumbleweeds rolled by. Ray fingered his gun and Enni pulled his hat down low over one eye. The girls sat on the saloon steps the feathers in their hair blowing in the wind of the deserted street.

"Their gonna kill each other." Ari screamed, feigning a swoon.

"No Ray, don't do it. Please." Gwen cried from the wooden porch her hand covering her mouth in fear.

"Enni, don't hurt him. I'm begin; you, stop." Sid clasped her hands over her heart and gasped.

"This is your last chance to run partner." Enni threatened.

"Not a chance ya yellow belly." Ray answered.

"On three then." Enni smiled his hand going to his holster. "One…"

"Two…" Ray answered gripping his pistol.

"THREE." They both yelled as Kai walked between them.

"You guys are hopeless." He sneered, and the western scene suddenly turned back into the living room, Enni and Ray stood on either side of Kai, their fingers, forming the shape of guns, were still pointed at one another and the girls were still clinging to each other on the couch.

"Kai, you just killed it." Gwen looked irritated.

"Yeah well I think it's time for us all to go to bed now anyway." He said.

"You know, at first I though maybe I got the wrong impression of you." Ari began, detaching herself from her friends. "But you really are no fun." She looked at him in disbelief.

"Whatever." Kai grunted in reply.

Sid sat on her bed board out of her mind when there was a knock at her door and Gwen and Ari walked in with their arms full off pillows. Sid grinned happily; she figured they'd show up sooner or later.

"Kai's gonna kill us." Gwen sighed.

"I don't care. Who made him the head cheese anyway?" Sid added.

"Exactly, so I say screw Kai." Ari nodded and Sid got a look on her face.

"He'd probably be really good at it too." She smiled slyly.

"Ew, why are we talking about sleeping with Kai?" Gwen shuddered.

"Because we're teenage girls." Sid answered.

"Sooo…what are we gonna do about this place?" Ari sighed looking around Sid's room.

"Meh. Slap on some paint and fit in some new curtains, an this place could look like a home." Gwen said doubtfully.

"We also have to get jobs while we're waiting for Enni's dad to send him some money." Sid sighed.

"Urg, don't remind me." Ari groaned. "How about this. You work, and I sleep." She grinned her eyes closed. She was then hit by a large number of pillows that ricocheted of the walls falling softly on the floor, and on her head. This was followed by much giggling that continued until probably around one in the morning when they finally fell asleep.

Enni ran into Sid's room breathing a great sigh of relief, as Ray and Max followed him.

"Oh good. You're all here." Enni gasped.

"I could've told you that." Kai's voice was heard from the hall. "They weren't exactly quiet during their little 'slumber party' last night." He grumbled.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Ari yawned sitting up and rubbing her head, flipping her hair around her hands. All three girls have just woken up at this point. They weren't expecting the whole house to burst into the room suddenly at god only knows what time of the morning.

They stumbled sleepily into the kitchen and sat down at the table holding their heads.

"I told you, you should have gone to bed when I said so." Kai smirked.

"Listen wise crack." Sid said angrily getting up. "I don't care what you think. I have survived on my own just fine for several years, you are NOT going to tell me what to do." She hissed.

"We should go get dressed now anyway." Gwen said trying to prevent the start of world war three. That's when Enni walked in fully dressed and smiling as each girl gave him a quick kiss on the cheek before leaving.

"How do you do it?" Tyson asked in awe.

"How do you stand it?" Kai scowled.

"You realize that I have been having a great deal of trouble trying to guess weather you say these things because you're jealous or because you're gay." Enni grinned sitting next to him. Kai just grunted and went to the living room.

"We need to get some money so we can actually fix up this old place." Ray said following him along with Tyson and Max.

"Maybe the girls have a plan." Max suggested.

"Judging from my most recent experiences, I wouldn't trust any of their plans." Tyson said looking scared. Kai shook his head in irritation and sat on one of the couches, crossing his arms in his signature pose. A moment later the fades walked in looking at the silent group.

"Wow, did someone die?" Ari asked sitting down on the floor with Sid. Enni and Gwen smirked and plopped themselves on either side of Kai. He looked up slowly his brow furrowed at them, wondering what in the name of all things sacred they were planning. He suddenly caught on, his eyes opening properly now.

"Oh no you don't." He said attempting to stand, but before he could move they both leaned over, kissing him on either cheek. He stood up quickly and turned to them shocked (yeah, he's kind of a prude, but then again he kind of is in the show, although he does tend to make most of the sexual references when Ray is absent). "WOW." He stopped. "You." He growled at Enni then turned to Gwen. "You, you're a girl so you're O.K., but you…" he looked back at Enni.

"Wow I think that's the most you've ever said in one day." Sid said innocently.

"And you are starting to get very annoying." He retorted.

"I could start kissing you too." She suggested.

He gave a small huff and left, they heard a door close upstairs and figured that he'd gone to his room.

"Well that answers my question from before." Enni said and then he and Gwen combusted into laughter.

"Anyway…" Ray said, looking slightly nervous. "Let's get back to the task at hand." He continued and everyone groaned knowing what was coming next. "Cleaning up this disaster." He finished.

"And with what money?" Sid replied.

"Well we all have to have something no matter how small." Max said. In the end they managed to get four hundred and eighty bucks in total. And trust me, that's not a lot for a group of eight teenagers trying to live in a rundown old mansion. So they decided that buying standard white paint would do for now, and some black too. The rest off the money went to food. (No they didn't trust Tyson with that part, they actually have brains). Instead it was Ray and Gwen that went to get groceries and Ari and Enni took the paint duty which left Sid to round the rest up and give them each duties of their own to fulfill. So it was no surprise when Gwen and Ray came home to find Tyson swinging in front of the third story windows on a weirdly tied rope, screaming for help.

"How in hell did you get up there you idiot?" Gwen asked one hand clutching a brown bag full of food, the other shielding her eyes to the sun.

"Uh…something got Sid mad so she sent me to do the outside work so I thought I'd start with the ivy." He called back.

"Arg, we'll come get you down in a second." Ray sighed as he and Gwen sauntered into the house. "You'd figure he should start with clearing a path to the door." Ray growled, pushing past brambles and probably breaking a few.

"Oh thank god you're back." Sid almost through herself at them as the walked into the kitchen.

"Uh…hello?" Gwen answered.

"Tyson has been insufferable and Max can't seem to do ANYTHING without asking me how I want it done, and Kai is actually working, but I have never met a more conceited asshole in all my life, Arg, they're driving me crazy." She cried falling into a chair, Ray and Gwen just blinked at her. That's when the sound of the other car was heard, pulling up outside.

Several hours later Kai walked into the living room with the intention of taking a break from ridding the house of spiders (Sid's idea). As he did so he almost had a heart attack and almost got a face full of white paint. The room had been turned into a war zone. The furniture had been yet again covered with the original white sheets and they were currently being used as shields while the paint splattered teens ran around throwing the white substance at one another.

"You do realize that you are wasting the paint." He sighed.

"No we're not." Sid grinned. "We're just turning ourselves into human rollers." She laughed rubbing her back up against the wall, much like a cat would.

"You should help." Ari added brushing some paint on the back of his neck. He turned and glared at her.

"Oh come on Kai, you must have been a kid at some time." Gwen added. He didn't say anything and just leaned on the only dry part of the wall.

"I'm getting tired of you feeling sorry for yourself." Ari began to flare. "Do you think your life could have ever been more painful than ours?" She continued. The air was starting to feel electric and the sunlight suddenly disappeared. Kai watched her with interest.

"Uh guys…" Gwen began, looking out the window; the sky had suddenly turned black. The clouds were writhing darkly above them, causing lightning touching the earth everywhere around them. "She's doing it again." Gwen whimpered ducking behind Sid.

They turned back to the living room where Ari was standing staring at the floor with out really seeing it. Her pupils had been reduced to the size of pinheads, and there was a smoky black power was slowly consuming her like a soft hypnotic flame.

"Kai get OUT OF THE WAY!" Enni cried, but it was too late. The air circled her, building up strength, crushing Kai against the wall. "When she releases that energy, Kai will be killed." Enni looked scared. But he wasn't anticipating the wall of burning fire that shot up in front of Kai.

"What the…" Ray stared in confusion. A few seconds later Ari seemed to snap from her trance and she looked up at the fire surrounding Kai. Putting her head between her hands she dropped to her knees and screamed an unearthly scream that seemed to ring in the billowing black mass overhead.

"HIT THE DECKS." Gwen cried, grabbing Tyson and Max and dragging them to the ground, followed by her friends. There was a rushing, howling sound around them as the entire house shook. Then there was a deadly silence and sunlight slowly stretched across the floor. It crossed over the six teenagers on the floor who looked up, watching Kai on his hands and knees gasping for air. Ari was still on he knees in the middle of the floor shacking.

"C-couldn't stop…I-I…did I kill him." She stuttered keeping her eyes shut. Gwen gripped her hands while Sid checked her pulse (yes they do this a lot but it's important so don't start moaning my insufferable wombats).

"No you didn't kill him, he's o.k." Enni said. "Although I have no idea how." He wondered aloud. But Ari couldn't seem to hear him. He walked over to Kai and checked his pulse also noticing the chain hanging from his neck and the glowing bit dangling on the end.

"So that explains it." He whispered. Kai sat back against the wall, still catching his breath and looking at Ari who had completely lost herself to her power. She wasn't noticing anything around her. "O.K. sweetheart, let's get you upstairs." Enni said softly, picking her up and carrying her up the stairs, Gwen and Sid following quickly behind.

"I'm starting to wonder if coming here was ever really a good idea." Max said sliding down next to Kai.

"What do you mean 'starting' to?" Tyson was still lying on the floor, to afraid that something was going to explode.

"I don't think we'll ever be able to relax when we're always worried about one of them blowing up." Ray added picking up a brush and looking around. One of the six paint cans had fallen over, spilling onto the sheets that covered the carpet. The furniture had been thrown around a bit, but otherwise there was little damage done. He sighed and proceeded to paint the walls. His comrades looked around at the windswept room; somehow they knew that this wasn't even close to what she could have done.

"She held herself back." Sid voiced their thoughts sitting on the only chair that hadn't been flipped over. "A lot more then she should have, I'm surprised she managed to stay conscious until Enni took her upstairs."

"What are you talking about?" Tyson asked.

"Shesurpressed all the energy she built up, sorta the same way Kai bottles in his feelings so she took the principal from you." Sid answered gesturing towards Kai. "That's why she screamed so much." Sid closed her eyes a let out a groan of frustration. "That must have been so painful." She whispered.

'_Ari, you held yourself back.'_ The voice soothed in the back of her mind.

'I had to, I can't kill anymore.' Ari thought, she was vaguely aware of someone holding her hand and stroking her hair, but that could just have been the breeze through her window. She suddenly remembered not having closed it since the day before.

'_I know you can't.'_ The voice replied.

Enni continued to run his fingers through Ari's hair. He was one of the few people whom she would allow to touch it. He never could imagine what those girls went through and he loved them for their bravery and he would stand by them. Gwen came and sat next to him, looking at her friend.

"A part of me wishes she'd have just let go." Gwen mumbled. "This is just getting worse the more it goes on."

"I know." He whispered. "I know." He reached inside his shirt and pulled out his bit beast pendant. He did this a lot lately; he just sat in the darkness of his room and stared at it for hours, sometimes all night. He didn't blame Sid for demolishing his blade and almost destroying his bit beast. It wasn't her fault. It had never been their fault. He had grown to live with the new change. Though he couldn't see his bit beast anymore he could still feel his presence close by and somehow that comforted him.

"I'm sorry." Gwen said quietly whipping her eyes, and he suddenly realized that she had been crying. "We're all so sorry."

"I know." He answered again. "It wasn't your fault." He continued and turned to look at her "and I'm going to fix things." He said without smiling. She nodded and looked down at the bed where Ari was stirring. She opened her eyes looking at them but not seeming to really focus.

"I left the window open." She smiled weakly and fell out of consciousness again.

Sid was in the kitchen staring into space when her friends came downstairs. The boys were still painting the living room and the house had gone strangely quiet for the first time since they'd arrived. How long would it be now until _she_ lost control, what would happen then? The sudden outbursts had only increased in strength as they had aged and now the smallest things could set them off. Gwen and Ari had proved that one already. How long would it take for her to…to? Her head pounded and she felt sick. How many people would she kill? Would she be able to hold herself back? Would she die? A hand landed on her back and she looked up at Gwen. Her eyes were red and puffy from her own tears but she was smiling now.

"She woke up for a minute just a little while ago." She giggled. "So it looks like she'll be O.K." The joy in the room was nonetheless tainted and the rest of the day was mostly spent in silence.

"Those poor girls." Ray said to himself as they assembled in Kai's room that night (much to Kai's objection).

"Makes me almost hate the BBA." Max agreed. "I wonder if it'll get any better."

"I doubt it." Kai retorted from his seat in the shadows.

"But I'd still like to know how come WE are somehow a part of this." Ray said ignoring the prince of darkness and despair.

"Maybe we should ask the person who started all this." Max suggested.

"Mr. Dickenson?" Tyson didn't know what he'd say to the man now that he knew what he'd done. "He doesn't seem like the same person anymore."

At around three a.m., Ari stumbled down the last flight of stairs and somehow guided herself into the kitchen, she poured herself a glass of water and stood there staring at it.

"Are you going to drink it, or are you waiting for it to show you the future." Enni stood at the doorway his arms folded over his chest. "I heard you get up."

"I don't want to know about my future." Ari retorted. "Especially if I might not have one." He walked over wrapping his arms around her. This had happened to them so many times before and all he could do was sit by and wait for it to be over so he could help make it better.

"You will have a future. We all will." She relaxed and buried her face in his chest letting him comfort her.

"How can you be sure?" Her voice wavered as tears came down her cheeks freely, she almost never cried like this.

"Because I'm gonna make sure." He whispered back. "Now maybe you should go back to bed". She pulled away drinking some of the water and nodded, letting him help her back upstairs.

The next morning everyone was back downstairs in the kitchen being very quiet while Ari leaned her head on Gwen's shoulder, still feeling a little dizzy, but she wasn't so out of it that she couldn't see how everyone was acting. Even Tyson wasn't making anyone scream. Arg, this was getting tedious.

"THAT'S IT!" She cried sitting up, and everyone looked at her in fear of another outburst, or that she had completely lost her mind and thought that someone very annoying was talking to her. "I can't take this anymore." She added getting up. "Could you just all go back to being the mindless fools that you are, this is starting to get boring." She grinned, and the room let out a sigh. Tyson smiled and jumped up running around the kitchen.

"Thank god. I thought I was gonna die. Honestly it was like watching paint dry…" He went on and everyone tuned out eventually laughing inwardly at his antics. Max soon joined him and then someone suggested going for a run or something to get rid of the cobwebs and someone else said they should finish painting and…well anyway…you get the idea. And somehow through all the madness, no one noticed Kai and Ray slip out the front door. Everyone new that this happiness would only last until something set off one of the spirits inside the girls but they'd take it for now. Kai put a hand on his still sour chest as he thought this. He turned and followed Ray out the door leaving the sounds of joy behind.

Tno: Hello my fine feathered felines. Well well, what could our little stealthy kangaroos be up too now do you wonder? Well you'll just have to wait and see. Mwahahahaha. Now as you can see our story tends to have mood swings-.

Clarence: Exactly, it goes from happy, to angsty. Happy to angsty. Happy, angsty, happy, angsty…

Tno: Uh…Clarence…

Clarence: Happy, angsty, happy…

Tno: Hello!

Clarence: Happy, angsty, happy and then angsty, and THEN occasionally we add in some romance but then it goes back to happy, angsty-.

Tno: CLARENCE!

Clarence: What? I'm just telling them the basic 'mood' of the story.

Tno: Yes well it's time to say goodbye now.

Clarence: But what about the contest thing?

Tno: Oh smooth Clarence that's supposed to be for the next chapter.

Clarence: Oops, uh…bye then.

Tno: Adieu.


	4. chapter 4

Chapter 4:

Tno: Hello my fine feathered felines; I hope we are all feeling review able today. And if not, come back when you are. So what little twists and turns do we have for you my darlings…Well I'm afraid you'll just have to read to discover that. And now Clarence, my dear dear old chum. Take your turn and we shall begin our long awaited chapter 4. (And try not to let anything slip although that's usually my fault).

Chapter 4:

He turned and followed Ray out the door leaving the sounds of joy behind. They walked in silence, both knowing what the other was thinking. Kai had smirked inwardly when he'd found out that they would be living with the girls. Ray wouldn't be able to resist being the player he was. Of all his friends Ray was probably the one who knew him best, but it hadn't always been that way…but now…well it was different now. Kai would just have to live with that as he'd done for so long.

Ray wasn't thinking on the same lines as Kai as they got into the car at the end of the drive. There still wasn't any non-plant invaded space in the driveway for them. If Mr. Dickenson couldn't give a good enough explanation for what he'd done then he would pay dearly for what he'd put those girls through.

"How did Kai manage to survive your outburst anyway?" Gwen asked uncertainly. Sid didn't say anything, she too had noticed the wall of flames that had seemed to defend him from her but had refused to question it. Enni would tell them soon enough.

"The thing is…" Enni began. "The fact that our beasts aren't in their blades anymore means that they are actually closer too us than before. Their power can be called up to aid us at our will, but it's not very powerful. Against Ari at her full-blown strength, Kai wouldn't have even lasted two minutes."

"And you know this how?" Ari asked narrowing her eyes suspiciously as he sat next to her his arm wrapped around her shoulders.

"I told you I would make sure you'd be ok. So I did my research." He grinned pulling Gwen under his other arm.

"So she could have killed Kai if she had jest let Taranis go?" Sid whispered looking thoughtful.

"She would probably have killed us all considering how close to her we all were." Enni answered quietly sensing Ari shiver.

"Hey where is Kai anyway?" Tyson asked.

"Hopefully under a truck." Ari muttered.

"Hang on, Ray's gone too." Gwen sat forward.

"Can't say I'll miss him either." Ari retorted and jumped away as Enni pinched her. Max frowned in annoyance.

"Great, first we have to deal with Kai disappearing on a regular basis, and now Ray's gone and vanished too." He sighed.

They all sat in silence after that one, what could they do but wait? They eventually started to paint the bedrooms and bathrooms slowly moving upstairs. It would have been helpful if the other two had bee there but no. They had to run off and be all secretive. Where on earth had they gone off to anyway? (Stop thinking dirty, I don't personally really like yaoi stories, no offence to those who do, gay men just don't turn me on, there's something wrong with me).

"Have we found them yet?" The gruff voice said from the dark corner of the room.

"No sir, if they're still in Japan, they're hiding very carefully." The soldier answered.

"And you say the girls are with them now?" The soldier nodded. "Damn, when Voltaire finds out we're all screwed. WHY IN HELL did I tell you to start following the blade breakers." There was the sound of a hand slamming against wood. "You are dismissed." The man in the shadows said angrily. The soldier bowed low and left quickly, fearing for his life considering his boss happens to be one of Russia's most wanted, and the person who probably needs the most anger management therapy out of all the evil black market organization leaders. _Voltaire's going to have my head for this._ He thought angrily. And the phone rang. _Shit, right on time. Couldn't he ever be sick for once?_ He sighed and answered it slowly. _Time to face the music._

Gwen dumped her paintbrush into one of the empty paint cans and slumped into a chair. Max and Tyson were already in the living room, watching TV. The rest would be coming down for a break soon. She leaned her head back and closed her eyes, not hearing the front door open. There was a soft rush of air across her face as she began to drift off to sleep.

"Did you miss me?" A familiar voice said softly. Her eyes shot open, hearing Ray speaking so close to her face and opening her eyes to see him that close didn't help either. She jumped in surprise letting out a small shriek as the chair toppled over.

"I'll be happy if I never have to see another drop of white paint again-." Ari was heard coming down the hall and she stopped dead as she entered the living room. "Oh. It's you." She said none to warmly throwing herself on one of the couches.

"Well aren't you glad to see me." Ray's eyebrow rose as he swept Gwen up off the floor. She squirmed making a high-pitched noise as her vaulted her into his arms.

"Ah! Ray! PUT ME DOWN!" She cried and he obliged dumping her on Ari who sat up in painful surprise. That being the moment Sid walked in with Enni. Ray grinned and wrapped his arms around her for a brief moment before disappearing up the stairs.

"What's got him so touchy-feely?" Enni wondered watching him leave.

"Never mind that. Where have you guys been?" Ari snarled. That's when Kai quickly turned around and followed Ray. "Oh, no you don't." She growled and her and her friends gave chase eventually they end up taking the two hostage in he kitchen. Though Kai didn't seem to mind considering he thinks he's all tough and he can keep stuff from them.

"Alright spill." Gwen ordered, and Sid backed her up glaring at Kai who didn't even seem bothered that they were pissed.

"Come on where in all hell were you?" Ari added (more calmly now she's had time to cool off).

"None of your business." Kai grunted in reply (as usual). Ari let out a low animal-like growl that made both boys jump.

"What was that?" Ray asked gripping his chair.

"Just a little motivation." Enni folded his arms "Now talk." The two remained silent. "Come on, you don't know anyone around here, how secretive can this little outing be?" he snapped.

"You aren't gonna like it." Ray shook his head.

"Try us." Sid retorted.

"That I can do." He smirked giving her a meaningful look. Sid rolled her eyes in impatience.

"Don't be a dick head, now tell us where you were."

"I'd rather keep my life." Ray retorted.

"You won't if you keep this up." Ari muttered.

"FINE!" Kai cried and everyone looked at him. "We went to talk to Mr. Dickenson. Happy? Didn't think so." He said angrily and stormed out. Yet again the room fell into a defining silence that threatened to devour them. The girls just looked at Ray.

"I better go clear out the drive way a bit." He mumbled and walked out.

"Well, if anyone needs me you know where to find me." Ari finally stated going up to her room and they all departed. Leaving Max and Tyson to raise their eyebrows at the argumentative group.

Gwen sat on her bead playing a quiet game of chess against Enni when there was a soft knock at her door followed by Ray.

"Uh…I thought I'd…come to explain." He said quietly.

"We'll be in the kitchen, you go get the other two." Gwen said bluntly and he mentally winced at the lack of tone in her voice. He would have preferred it if she'd started screaming at him till he went def. She walked by him as though he were a ghost and Enni followed, not saying a word.

He paused before knocking on Sid's door. When she didn't answer he knew she wouldn't anyway, so he tried the door, finding it unlocked.

"I wanna try and explain why Kai and me, why we went to talk to Mr. Dickenson." Ray said watching her look out the window.

"Don't say his name around me please." Was her only answer?

"Enni and Gwen are already downstairs if you wanna come." She had never seen Ray in such a sheepish way, not even after having studied his past with her friends to try and figure out what connection he had to them. She remained silent and soon heard him leave. Sighing she got up and went downstairs.

Ari had been the one he'd been afraid of speaking too. She'd probably try to bight his head off he thought as he knocked, opening the door. Ari looked up from her desk at Ray, but he wasn't paying any attention what so ever to her. He was much more preoccupied with the gigantic black dog that had been curled up on her bead. As Ray opened the door it raised is massive head bearing its fangs menacingly and growling. He shut the door quickly. When he'd considered the thought of getting his head bitten off he hadn't thought of it happening literally. He raced down to the kitchen and skidded across the floor looking terrified. The three around the table looked at him curiously.

"Why is there a gigantic dog on Ari's bed?" he gasped. And they looked at each other.

"Oh shit!" They muttered when Kai's voice came downstairs.

"I'm going, I'm going. Just keep that THING away from me." He finished walking in, in a very pissy mood. The huge black canine followed him. It certainly wasn't a normal dog by the looks of it. Two small silver horns protruding from the silky fur on its forehead were certainly not normal and it was about the size of a small horse. It also had two wings protruding from its sides (a true sign of it air element that Ari had earlier demonstrated). They looked sort of like bat's wings, only the frame was much more delicate and the space between the branch-like parts was filed with an elegant substance that resembled fine sill that faded form dark blue to a pretty softer blue. The dog folded the wings elegantly to its sides, swishing its three flowing tails and lying on the floor at Ari's feet.

"I see they've met Taranis." Sid smiled slightly. _Wait till hey meat Cliodina._ She chuckled in her mind at the thought.

"Oh big dog, BIG dog." Gwen quaked scrambling over the table.

"I don't see why you're so cared since you know that he'd never hurt you." Enni shook his head. Quite used to the sight of this great beast in their midst. That's when Max and Tyson had to walk in and almost go through the rough upon laying eyes on Taranis.

"What is that?" Tyson breathed, he practically smelled of fear.

"A little motivation." Gwen quoted Enni smiling. "So go on Ray. You were going to explain something I believe." She almost laughed as she looked at him. His eye riveted on Taranis who closed his eyes sleepily.

"Ari would you mind putting…Taranis back in your-." He began, but as he got up the dog bared a long lethal fang, his throat rumbling and the hairs on his neck rising. Ray sat down slowly trying to decide if Ari would actually let the dog attack him.

"Taranis." She said warningly and leaned against his side. "You were saying Ray?" She had clearly no intention of having Taranis leave.

"If you don't start talking I could always have Sid give her input." Gwen grinned and turned to her friend who purred (literally and scarily).

"O.K…uh…" Ray decided to turn his gaze from the dog that currently appeared to be guarding him. Instead he decided to set eyes on Gwen. "The thing is, we've known Mr. Di-. I mean _him_ for a long time now. Especially me. And we couldn't believe he would do something like that to anyone. So we were going to find out everything he knows about his experiment." Ray's voice slowly became more and more biter as he talked. "So we went to one of those places the BBA sets up for traveling bladders to contact him."

"I wouldn't think they would have one here since they don't have any kind of business." Enni mused.

"There's a small one over in Montreal." Kai said boredly.

"Anyway we waned to know about the uh…side effects related to your…situation." He said very slowly, choosing his words.

"And what did _he_ tell you?" Sid asked she was even starting to hate the sound of the word 'he' knowing whom it represented.

"Nothing, we couldn't reach him." Kai answered casually.

"So what did you do during he other four hours you were away?" Gwen asked. "It doesn't' take over five hours to drive downtown and make a phone call."

"We talked to Kenny and told him everything that's been going on." Ray lied smoothly. "And then we grabbed some food."

"And all this took until three in the afternoon?" Gwen's eyebrow rose inquisitively.

"Ray got lost driving us home." Kai answered. He got up finally and went towards the door. As expected Taranis jumped up angrily. Kai took no notice and the dog leapt in front of him. He looked at Ari, his glare demanding the right to leave. "We've told you everything so let me go." He sneered.

"Are you sure you told us everything?" Sid asked looking at Kai's tense back, her eyes moved along to glance at Ray. The two nodded in silence. "Alright Ari, let them go. Besides Taranis is scaring Gwen." Ari sighed and there was a wind that seemed to blast through the room as the dog melted into the swirling breeze. Ari seemed to breath in and the air surrounded her dissipated seconds later, leaving nothing where the dog had once been.

The boys left, Tyson clinging to Max in fear. Hey they've never really seen a bit beast outside of a battle o.k. It's understandable that their scared when I massive animal with machete teeth happens to feel like devouring them whole.

"Why did you have to go and call him out?" Sid sighed sinking into a kitchen chair.

"He was bored and I was in the mood to scare the living hell out of them." Ari grinned. "Can't say those two didn't deserve it."

"Well they would have asked about them anyway." Gwen agreed. "Besides, Ceridwen's been itching to be let lose. I was tempted to let her when I lost control back in Japan."

"Speaking of which. When's your day Sid?" Ari asked resting her head in her hand. (Aha a new twist my pets, welcome to the world of minor confusion, you might as well start building a summer home since you're going to be visiting this place on several occasions. And there are two more of these stories to go after this one. Mwahahaha).

"I don't know yet." She answered. To be honest, she didn't really want to know when she was supposed to lose control, but how could she lose something she'd never had. It was causing her so much stress. She hadn't slept properly in ages worrying. She just wanted it to be over already.

Gwen couldn't sleep well, there was something bothering her (other than the usual). She lay in a half awake, half dream state. She was aware of movement and sounds. She heard her door open, and sat up, her heart pounding. Max walked in, not waiting for an invitation. He had a strange look in his eyes. His pupils were about the size of pinheads as he moved forward in a surreal kind of way that made Gwen wonder if he were sleepwalking. He lifted his arm slightly, the knife clutched tightly in his fist glinting in the small hints of moonlight from the window.

"You." He half whispered, his tone was low and dangerous. "You took away my Draceil." Gwen's heart skipped a beat and she shifted to stand against the wall looking for a way to escape from him. What had made him start acting this way?

"Max I never meant to…don't be mad…please." Gwen tried to reason with him, trying fruitlessly to conceal the fear that caused her voice to quiver.

"I will NEVER forgive you." He roared and in two steps he'd crossed the room to her, lifting the knife a maniacal look across his face. Gwen screamed and ducked out of the way, barely brushing by as she ran for the door, slamming it behind her. She ran around to Sid's room to find her door open and she choked on her next scream when she looked inside. Sid lay on her back across her bed, a deep gash across her lower abdomen, blood streaking from the hole in her gut. Tyson was sitting calmly beside the corps of her friend playing with his own knife, blood crusted on it's sharp edge. Seeing her, he stood up but she didn't stick around to find out what would happen next, she swung that door shut too and raced up the stairs to the attic. Rushing into Enni's room and breathing heard she collapsed on the floor and crawled over to his bed.

"Enni." She whispered harshly. "Enni we have to get out of here." She said grabbing his hand. She felt her heart stop. His hand was freezing and stiff, she had felt that before. That was the way dead hands felt. She ran her hand up his arm to locate his face but stopped at his throat her fingers accidentally sinking into the moist slice across his artery. She pulled back tears filling her eyes her stomach seemed to flip as she looked at the still form on the bed. There was a noise outside and Gwen threw herself against the wall near the door, looking out into the hall.

The door across the hall was flung open and Ari stumbled out, sporting various severe cuts. She tripped and began to fall but was caught by Kai who had followed her out of her room. Unlike the other two his eyes were perfectly normal and he moved in more realistic way, throwing Ari against the wall and pinning her there.

"Did you find it amusing?" He asked taking his own short sword and dragging it up her side. He smiled sadistically at her agony and stopped the knife just under her ribcage, applying pressure slowly. Blood seeped into her shirt and he bent his head down to her ear. "Did you think it was fun to almost rip me apart?" He asked again.

"STOP!" Ari cried in anguish. "I didn't mean too. We never wanted to. I'm sorry Kai, I'm sorry." Gwen couldn't move, she wanted to reach out to her friend, to help her but her legs were frozen in place.

"To late." Kai sneered his body crushing hers against the wall. She gasped and her hand suddenly found the knife that was already half way into her side. Using whatever dying strength was left in her she pulled it out and turned it on Kai sinking it deep into his own stomach. He stopped for a minute as though to register what had just happened. "You killed me." He whispered in an almost laugh before collapsing on her. That's when Ari seemed to just let go. She was crying as she sank to the floor slipping out from under Kai's dead weight. Gwen was crying too now. What was going on?

It was then that she was aware of the breathing behind her and remembered the one member of the household that had yet to be accounted for. She turned to stare at Ray's cold amber gaze her eyes dropping to the long samurai sword stained in red, probably from when he killed Enni. Ray leaned back casually against the wall as though this was all just another day.

"You know you're the one we all really want to get back at." He smiled, and Gwen shuddered at the chill in his voice making her remember their first encounter in Japan. "But then of coarse Kai wanted to get back at Ari for what she almost did yesterday, and well Sid was the next one to go off wasn't she so we couldn't have her lose control when she found out what we'd done." He was smirking now as Gwen's expression went from fear to rage.

"And Enni?"

"Well I couldn't have him running to your rescue now could I?" He continued to watch her as though waiting for something and she realized what it was that had set the boys off.

"What did Mr. Dickenson tell you?" She choked.

"Enough." He grinned. "It's too bad I have to kill you, we could have had a lot of fun." Gwen felt her hear contract painfully, how had she trusted this guy so easily. He raised his sword, but she didn't even give him the chance to take a step before she forced her legs to move, almost jumping down the stairs, and running for the door. Unfortunately Max appeared from the living room and stood in her way, she swerved to run through the kitchen almost impaling herself on Tyson's knife as he approached her. Gwen turned back to Max, staring into the cobalt blue orbs that no longer held emotion of life.

"Max, it's me, it Gwen." She breathed reaching up to touch his face. "I'm sorry Max, please forgive me…please?" Ray's laugh pierced the air behind her but she tried to ignore it staring into the blue eyes in front of her.

"Are you trying to save yourself by getting through to Max? Really Gwen you're very funny." He chuckled. Max's almost microscopic pupils contracted momentarily and Gwen looked at him with hope but he suddenly turned cold again swiveling her around so fast she felt the world spin. "He can't hear you Gwen. He doesn't want to hear you." Ray said softly as Max grabbed her hair and wrenched her head back. She felt the cold metal of the samurai sword against her deathly pale neck and as Ray's face came into view she closed her eyes, praying for a miracle, anything she would take it. She felt his warm breath on her ear as he leaned forward whispering. "Say hi to them for me."

Gwen felt a sudden burning in her throat and she realized it was her own screaming. She sat bolt upright in bed staring at the white sheets covering her legs and clutching her throat.

"Are you O.K.?" She turned and let out a small shriek when Max put a hand on her shoulder. She jumped away from him and stood on the other side of the bed staring at him with a mixture of fear and confusion. "Uh…Gwen?"

"I'm fine." She answered absently running from the room.

Sid had been writing a work list for Tyson (trust me he needs one, it's Tyson people, he needs help), when Gwen burst into the room. She looked wild with her mismatched pajamas all askew and her hair slightly wisped and messy (but it still looked impeccable, lol sorry Clarence, I just had to add that in, please don't hit me later). She looked around the room her eyes lingering on Tyson's empty hands before turning her attention to Sid.

"Oh good, you're alive, STAY THAT WAY." She said and left. Sid and Tyson exchanged glances before shrugging and resuming their previous occupation.

In the meantime Ari was ransacking her room, looking for her wallet that was buried somewhere under the junk pile on her floor. Her door was open when Ray came to it and he walked in to receive a piece of clothing, which Ari had carelessly tossed over her shoulder, in the face.

"What are you looking for?" He asked brightly.

"None of your business she retorted turning around to see him checking out the small black tank top in his hands. The smirk was unmistakable.

"Why don't you ever wear this?" he grinned as she snatched the top back.

"Don't be such a dickhead, you're worse than Kai." She snapped.

"I heard that." Kai himself said coming around the corner.

"Oh great, what do you want." Ari hissed.

"WE would just like to know a bit about your little-I mean big dog friend there." Ray answered smiling not unkindly. Ari knew that they weren't prying and she should have expected this. But what was she supposed to say. How was she supposed to TELL them about _him_?

"Taranis…is complicated." She said turning her eyes to the floor. That was the moment when a flash of bond in baby blue P.J.s flew by slamming through the door across the hall and latching itself to Enni.

"YOU'RE ALIVE!" Gwen balled squeezing Enni's middle. He sweat dropped and looked over at the other three in Ari's doorway who just shrugged.

"Uh…is everything alright Gwen?" He asked

Gwen suddenly noticed the two other males present and her expression changed to apprehension. "You people don't have any lethal objects on you?" She asked shifting so she was partially hidden behind Enni. Ari pulled out a couple of skeindoos (small Scottish knives). "Not you." Gwen barked as Ari gave her a knowing grin. Kai and Ray shook their heads absently, more worried about shuffling away from the armed female between them.

"O.K. What's wrong, and don't lie." Enni said taking her shoulders sternly and making her look at him.

"Nothing." she assured him.

"And I'm the Queen of England." Tyson's sarcastic tone came to their ears followed be Tyson himself brandishing the list that Sid (who was with him) had finally finished.

"Your majesty." Gwen bowed to him and began to walk away when she felt something like five hands grab her arm.

"That's enough. What's going on?" Sid said sternly.

Tno: Well my little koalas. What did you thing of our little Gwen's dream now? I figured I'd add some gore for the hell of it. And now on to more important matters like the fact that you people have been making my little purple button very lonely. You know the one that says 'submit review'. And because I you have mad the button sad, you have now forced me to be mad at you. I think Clarence should start with the chainsaw threats again. Or I could simply tar and feather every one of you wretched little kinkajous weather or not you have read my story. Mwahahahahaha. And now because I am mad and because you have been to lazy to review, I don't feel like telling you about the contest that Clarence and I were talking about in the last chapter. No adieu and I hope you feel ashamed for making purple button cry. And now Clarence my button savior, I give you the reins.

Clarence: well I guess I'm going to have to threaten you guys with the chainsaw again. Oh well your loss. Review fools! Muhahahahaha


	5. chapter 5

Chapter 5:

Tno: I'm back, now if any of you were visited in the night by three ghosts who called you the scrooges of reviews, take that to heart and review this chapter. Now chapter 5 is where we bring in a bit more of the love (no, no lemons yet, there is still quite a ways to go, I'm trying to make this story seem a little more realistic then "I like you", "I like you too", "O.K. let's have sex". NO, that is not how it works, these girls are NOT whores, they establish a RELATIOSHIP first, and if you can't handle that then you are immature and horny and you need to see a therapist. Capish). Now that I'm done ranting at you non reviewers…it's Clarence's turn. (And thank you very much to DK and Big W, who DID review).

Clarence: yes I am not a whore I repeat not a whore. Cough well any way on with the chapter.

Chapter 5:

"That's enough. What's going on?" Sid said sternly.

"It's nothing, just a bad dream O.K." Gwen answered. "I'm serious." She added before turning around. Everyone looked relived except Enni.

"What was this dream about exactly?" He pressed.

"Oh blood and guts and lots of scary shadows, you know, the usual bad dream." She shrugged.

"But we were in it Gwen." Enni continued.

"Enni, why is this such a big deal?" Ari asked, putting a hand on his shoulder.

"It could be a premonition." He said quietly.

"OH GOD I HOPE NOT." Gwen almost shrieked.

"Just tell us what happened in the dream." Sid said broadly.

"You aren't going to like it." She answered looking at her feet.

"Try us." Was Ray's obvious reply. Gwen took a deep breath, still looking intently at her socks.

"You guys tried to kill us, because of something that Mr. Dickenson told you. And you succeeded. In my dream they were all dead, and then you killed me." She looked at Ray

"You're right, I don't like it." Max said. "We wouldn't try to kill anyone."

"That's what I'm saying." Ari said. "It was just a dream Enni, leave it alone."

"It doesn't mean that no ones going to try and kill us. This has happened before if you remember Ari?" The hall went silent and everyone turned to look at Ari as tears began to spill from her eyes.

"Shut-up!" She said bitterly staring into Enni's eyes with mixed emotions. "I never meant it, Sid wasn't going to…She wouldn't have…And Gwen she…" Ari shook her head again and pushed past Ray into her room.

Ari closed her door, sinking to the floor listening to the conversation outside. 'Sid never mean to…you know that Enni, I know you know.' Ari thought.

"What was she talking about?" Tyson looked bewildered as usual.

"The day I lost Amphilion. Ari had her own premonition." The hall remained quiet, the boys silently urged Enni to continue. Gwen and Sid had moved closer to one another looking pained at the memory. "It had been a chain reaction started by Sid. This was quite a while after I'd started sticking with them, but we knew that the peace that had followed the last crisis wouldn't last. But that time was worse than the others. When Sid lost it I tried to get to her through the use of my blade but it was destroyed in the first five minutes. I was at a loss, in the past things hadn't been that bad but this time the world was literally going to be shattered. When she finally stopped so did her breathing, I couldn't do anything…then Ari lost it over that and the electrical storm she caused almost killed her. I managed to get her out of the way somehow and get Amphilion back but Ari seemed to be torn up from the inside. She was constantly coughing up blood, and then…Gwen went off and at this point I was powerless, and she was unintentionally killing me. When it was over, she was in a coma…" When Enni stopped talking Sid was kneeling on the floor trying unsuccessfully not to cry, and hugging Gwen who had been crying from the start of the story. She had to stop or Cliodina would make her let lose all her power. And in this confined space, not even she would survive. The blade breakers were silent. They had been processing so much unbelievable information lately that they were beginning to wonder if this wasn't just some elaborate joke, but the scar on Kai's chest made it damn clear that there was no joke and no lie. They were watching the unleashing of hell.

"I don't believe this. How could they hide THAT well?" Boris flinched; the warning that Voltaire had given him still pained his arm to no end. "I want you to spread everyone out through Italy, Germany, Scotland, and France. I swear I will have them found."

"Yes sir." The speakerphone answered. "Uh why those countries sir?"

"DON'T QUESTION ME, JUST DO AS I SAY!" Boris roared.

When Ari emerged from her room, she could see Enni sitting quietly at his desk through his open door and attempted to pass by without his noticing.

"Ari?" She cursed herself for forgetting to jump the creaky floorboard and turned to look at him. "I'm sorry." He said still looking out his window.

"I-…I understand." She didn't really know what else to say. So she went downstairs looking into Gwen's room where she sat alone. Ari had expected Sid to be there…

"She doesn't want anyone around when she unleashes Clio." Gwen smiled. "We had to tell them some time." She said trying to accept the memory's return.

"Yeah, I can't forgive myself for anything I've done though."

"Taranis forgives you, I know he does." At Gwen's words Ari looked at the floor, she needed him, to talk to him to be held close to him, _Taranis_.

Gwen knew that especially in a spirit child's teenage years, things got crazy. Most people, even those who simply bladed had a bit beast of the same sex but those few who had ones of the opposite gender…well that was different. She knew that though Ari couldn't be with him, she was in love with Taranis. In his human form he could comfort her, love her back but they both knew it wouldn't last.

Gwen took Ceridwen as more of a guardian, a different kind of love. Ceridwen would never let anything happen to her and vise versa. Gwen considered herself small and scared, and Ceridwen was her strength. How could any _normal_ person understand these feelings?

Sid stood out side in the field alone, she could see the house in the distance, but she refused to go back until she had proven her point to herself. She would learn control. But this time she would not try to stop it coming, she would try to make it come. She readied herself for the worst and in a surreal way, she felt calm and prepared, the field stretched out around her and she stood unseen, at least she thought she was unseen. The boys were watching her from Kai's window (they had barged into his room again).

"O.K. Clio, help me here." She said watching the breeze rustle the world around her. She felt like she was watching it from outside, as though she weren't actually a part of it.

_It doesn't work like that._ Cliodina responded from somewhere in her mind. _You are too calm. _Too calm…TOO CALM? Say what? FINE! She took a deep breath and forced herself to dredge up all the most painful memories from the bottom of her heart where she had left them, discarded, unwanted…hated. It took a while but they came. Her parent's, Tala, the people she had hurt or killed, Boris, the Balkov soldiers, Voltaire, the youth shelter, Enni…they soon began to hit her one after the other and she felt like every one of them was a stone in her soul. She hadn't noticed that she was on her knees now; she had forgotten where she was and what she was trying to do. She didn't feel the earth shake beneath her rising and falling as though the whole world were writing in her pain. She had no voice with which to scream and in agony she through her fists on the ground a shock wave erupting, she turned her palms to the shifting soil and her energy escaped her sinking deep into the ground and causing the whole town to pitch violently. She could feel the roots of the trees around the field and she called to them imagining she could feel them twine around her fingers and arms, slowly lashing her to the ground. All of a sudden she woke up from her absent state and felt her lungs being crushed. Her dream of the tree roots attaching themselves to her had not been imaginary after all. And even though she had stopped calling they continued to squeeze as though wanting to absorb her very life. The ground was already soaking in every bit of energy she had left and she couldn't pull free bound there. She wanted to scream but she had lost the power even to twitch. She was going to be killed by her own strength she though as her eyes closed, to spent to keep them open. She was already unconscious when someone cut her free from her prison and carried her back the house.

Kai was in his signature pose, arms crossed, bangs covering his eyes, it was his typical don't-touch-me-don't-talk-to-me-don't-even-breath-on-me, pose. He was actually bored out of his mind. How did he constantly get thrown into the job of watching the unconscious? The excuse was because he was quiet or something. He glanced at the bed as Sid began to stir. It had been a day and half since Enni had brought her back from the field, so far gone she had almost no blood flow. Now she slowly sat up groaning in pain.

"About time, I was getting tired of watching that spider cross your floor." He muttered and was surprised as Sid suddenly jumped up screaming.

"What spider where?" She shuddered and glanced at Kai, only now registering his presence in the room. (Hey she's been out for about two days here people, don't judge her disorientedness). Kai blinked a couple of times then smirked.

"Well now I know how to get you up and moving." He grinned and her cheeks went red.

"Hey what happened?" Max and Tyson rushed into the room to see Sid in one of Enni's tee shirts and underwear. (There had been blood all over her cloths when Enni had rescued her, and instead of having to throw out more of her cloths, he just gave her one of his. Cuz he's just so sweet). She jumped and pulled the covers up to her neck glaring at them. Knowing how much they'd humiliate her when they found out she was afraid of a bug.

"Sid just had a bad dream." Kai said. "Now get out before we both hurt you." He growled and the boys ran out.

"Uh…why…?" Sid looked at Kai confused.

"Some people aren't mature enough to accept the fears of others." He said all philosophically, turning away from her. "When they hide the fact that they have irrational fears of their own."

"So what you are basically saying is that you know what Tyson and Max are scared of." She smiled, dragging herself to the edge of the bed while still holding the blanket up (the shirt is slightly too big so it sorta falls really low on her chest).

"Maybe." He answered hiding his smirk. "But I know your now too, so why don't you clue me in on a few things…and then I won't have to say anything about your 'weakness'."

"That's blackmail you jerk she spat forgetting the blanket and trying to whack him over the head with a pillow. But she suddenly found herself feeling weak again and her arm dropped no where near his face. At that moment the door swung open and Gwen and Ari stood there smiling like crazy.

"You're awake they laughed and jumped on the bed with her and hugging her so tight she thought she was still being strangled by tree routs. Kai got up suddenly sullen again.

"See ya." He said and walked out.

"What's his problem?" Gwen tilted her head as he closed the door behind him.

"He's got a stick up his as." Ari replied before they heard the bone chilling 'I heard that.' from the hall.

"Nothing, he's just pissy again." Sid shook her head. "And could you two get off me. I can't really breath she gasped."

"Oops." Gwen laughed jumping up along with Ari.

"Sorry about that."

Eventually Enni came by and so did Ray, and by the time midnight rolled around Sid was strong enough to walk down to the living room where everyone was watching something on 'Movie Night in Canada'. Gwen wearily went to sit on Enni's lap and rested her head on his shoulder yawning.

"How are you Kitty?" He grinned at Sid patting Gwen's hair. Sid lay down on the rest of the couch with her head on Gwen's knees. Ari curled up on the end of the couch leaning on Sid's calves.

"Wow, you people look like a giant human pretzel." Tyson said diverting his attention from the screen where Indiana Jones was running through a bug infested tunnel.

"Tyson…never mind." Ari sighed, she was too tired even to think up and crude insult for the blue hared youth.

"Wow, you girls seem bushed." Enni smiled still running his fingers through Gwen's hair. (He likes to stoke girls hair and he's good at it too so they don't complain, and DON'T think dirty or I'll come after you with a starving cat in a sack).

"Well in the last week, all three of us exploded, we had a mini war with a gang of Balkov soldiers, we spent nearly a whole day on a plane, we have had to fix up a massive old creepy house, we almost got killed on several occasions, since we've had to live through an electrical storm with gale force winds INSIDE, a huge ass earthquake right outside, and a tidal wave the size of the empire figgen state building, courtesy of our insanity." Gwen gasped.

"No we're not tired." Ari and Sid laughed.

"Well then maybe you should get some sleep." Kai suggested, Ari rolled over and glared at him.

"I'm too tired to sleep." She retorted.

"Besides it's boring." Sid added.

"Maybe I could fix that." Ray was beginning to say when Max got up looking stunned.

"Uh did I just hear you right, after you lived through all that you can't stand a little sleep because it's BORING. I'd have thought you'd WANT boring by now." He cried.

"Easy Maxy, wow" Gwen grinned. "Didn't know you had it in you."

"Well even though you guys may not be tired, that doesn't mean we aren't so I'm going to bed." Tyson decided and the rest of his team nodded in agreement.

"Don't make to much noise or I might have to come down and tell you off." Ray added and then heard Kai make a noise in his throat as he left the room, his two scarf tails swishing behind him. "Or I could just send Kai." He winked.

"Is it just me, or do they seem a little TOO cherry?" Ari asked suspiciously.

"Well maybe your just a sourpuss." Enni retorted.

"Yeah, you and Kai would make the perfect couple honestly, you guys are too much alike." Gwen added.

"Well opposites attract." Ari said.

"So who is it then? Ray?" Sid poked her.

"Or me." Enni laughed as he got Gwen's elbow in his stomach.

"Watch it player." She hissed.

"Come on Ari you haven't seemed even remotely interested in anyone since…" Sid added, she knew it wasn't good for her friend to be so reclusive and alone inside, regardless of Taranis because even with him there she WAS alone, like the rest of them.

"Yeah well I learned my lesson didn't I?" She said in a small voice. "Besides I can't say your experience with men has been anymore endearing than mine."

"We said we wouldn't talk about that anymore." Gwen muttered.

"Yeah well that was irrational, we have to talk about it some time." Sid closed her eyes

"How about we just forget Tala and Kane for tonight and just relax. We can find a better time to talk about our miserable pasts." Enni said wrapping an arm around Gwen's shoulders and patting Sid's head.

" I need to go clear my head." Sid decided wanting to stand but her energy was still so low she couldn't.

"Tala isn't just going to leave your head, and you know it." Gwen said sternly. "He doesn't deserve to have you always trying to figure out why…"

Upstairs, Kai had been laying on his bed, listening to them talking about them and other people. People he knew. How was Tala involved with them? He had to admit that his mind was often preoccupied with his former friend who Tyson had beaten in the Russian tournament a long time ago. That was when he'd decided to turn temporarily evil, and so had Tala it seemed. He sighed and got up taking off his scarf and shirt before actually getting into bed. _Damn it I'm thinking about all this too much again._ He thought to himself while at least trying to get some sleep. _What does he have to do with Sid?_

"Sharpening your claws I see." Ray mocked Ari as she sat at the breakfast table that morning, filing her nails.

She had been the first one up that morning. And the other three were still tangled up on the couch. She saw Kai glance into the living room at the group shaking his head.

"Cute aren't they?" She said blankly putting down the nail file.

"And why are you awake so early?" Ray asked.

"I couldn't sleep." She answered getting up. "Anyway, I'm going to go have a cold shower." She said.

"Well fine then queen of doom and gloom." Ray muttered and almost got his eyes 'clawed' out.

"My, a little vicious maybe?" Enni yawned coming in with Gwen. Ari didn't answer as she went by but they could guess what profanities she was restraining herself from screaming.

"Jeez, she's pissed off." Tyson sighed leaning back in his chair.

"Well after dredging up her past with Kane I don't blame her." Gwen answered sadly.

Sid was listening to all this from the living room where she was pretending to be asleep. Some how, she decided, Tala and Kane had to be related in their problem. There was something very wrong, she had been thinking about it all night even after the other three had fallen asleep. Now she got up and went to the kitchen, she didn't want to think about Tala anymore.

"So what did Kane do exactly?" Max asked lazily having known Kane for a while there was little harm he figure this guy could do.

"Put it this way." Sid said solemnly entering the room, her arms crossed. "If he ever shows his face again, Ari will kill him."

"What did he do ask her on a date?" Tyson grinned and exchanged knowing smirks with Max.

"No, we're serious. Kane will DIE if he's stupid enough to come near Ari again." Enni said.

"And I'd help her." Sid said under her breath.

"And Tala?" Kai asked, leaning against the wall, eyes closed and arms crossed. He opened his eyes and looked at her back for a minute.

"Who's Tala?" She answered after the brief pause. He huffed and fell back into his normal pose.

"Arg! Men!" Gwen leaned her head against her hand and sloshed a glass of water around. Enni and Ray were having a pointless argument about a player type subject, Tala was probably now constantly invading Sid's thoughts, Ari was being pissed off about her memories of Kane and Max and Tyson were fighting over a chocolate bar. She looked at Kai who had been staring at Dranzer for a while now. "Is that your bit beast?" She asked shuffling over to take a look. Normally he would have been a bit more standoffish but for some reason she had innocence that he trusted and he let her see his phoenix.

"Wow, she's beautiful." Gwen exclaimed in awe. "C-can you still talk to her?" She added not looking at him.

"In a way I guess. She's all I have left really."

"That's a lot like Ari. She's only had Taranis since her parents died." Gwen said quietly. He didn't say a word. "Well they were killed actually when she was fourteen."

"Does she know who…?"

"It was Kane." This time Kai tuned to face her in disbelief.

"You can't be serious." She nodded solemnly.

"And I suppose you can't tell me how Tala ties into all this?" Kai asked.

"Who's Tala?" Gwen turned away.

Ray had retreated into the backyard when he and Enni had finished there little spat. While Sid had been out they had managed to finish trimming the greenery but the grass was still pretty long. Ah well, he liked it better that way anyway. He chose a lilac tree and balanced himself in a meditation pose closing his eyes. When he was sure he was stable he began to regulate his breathing. In…1,2,3,4,5,6,7…hold…1,2,3,4,5,6,7…out …1,2,3,4,5,6,7…in…" Eventually he began to fall into his mind turning it into a rose and going deeper and deeper one petal at a time. He could no longer feel, or hear anything around him. He lost all sense of where he was and yet at the same time he had an even BETTER sense of EVERYTHING in the world around him.

"Hey man!" He could sense Tyson talking somewhere but wasn't entirely sure if it was real or not. "Hey Ray, wake up dude." O.K. it was definitely Tyson and he was getting annoying.

"What?" Ray asked opening his eyes and dropping his pose.

"Wanna go blading buddy?" The blue hared boy grinned. Ray sighed and sank into and Indian seat leaning his back against the lilac tree.

"With what blades Tyson?"

"We can go get some parts and Kenny can help us build new ones over the phone. Come on, you know you miss it." Tyson persisted. It was true, Ray did miss blading but right now things were getting more serious and it had grown yet again into more than just a sport. Only this time, it wasn't blade parts or bit beasts getting stolen, it was lives being lost and people getting hurt. He remembered watching Sid go off in the field and force herself to let go. He and his friends had watched her almost die in agony and blades could have done NOTHING to help. No he didn't need to blade, he needed to learn. He needed to figure out how to call up Driger at will and unleash him on his enemies. He needed to know how he could help the girls get over this.

"Tyson, we can't blade anymore, we have to learn new skills now, blading won't help us survive this, learning to fight will. We ALL have to learn." Ray sighed standing up. "Come on, it's time for lunch now anyway." Tyson nodded, he'd figured Ray was going to say something like that, he hated that they were all forgetting about the sport because Boris decided to show up and destroy their lives again.

Upon walking inside Ray and Tyson almost ran into Max and Gwen who were talking animatedly as the headed upstairs.

"Oh hi Ray!" She grinned and waved. Sid smiled quickly and walked into the kitchen, and Ari came down the stairs not acting like the world was going to end but seeming…happy? Ray and Tyson looked and each other shrugging. Kai was being his usual sullen self when they walked into the kitchen where Sid and Ari were making themselves sandwiches.

"We're going to need to go buy more food soon." Sid shook her head.

"Then we better go job hunting hadn't we?" Ari said grabbing a bag of chips and heading upstairs. "I'll be in Gwen's room." She added.

"Why are guys happy again all of a sudden?" Tyson asked suspiciously.

"Look he thing is that even we can't stay upset for ever, we're only seventeen, so we act like it. Life sucks, we know, get over it and it might not suck so much anymore." Sid shrugged as Enni came in picking up the car keys.

"I'm going out for a bit O.K.?" he said kissing the top of her head.

"Just so long as you're not going out to talk with any assholes." She called after him and went upstairs.

The eighteen-year-old sat calmly in the lavish restaurant a glass of white wine on the pristine white tablecloth. He smoothed back his purple hair and checked his watch. At that point a blond boy ran in, he was far underdressed for this place but his smile and swagger clearly stated that he didn't really care.

"Enrique, always late." He said standing up as Enni walked over.

"Stop being so uptight he said waving his friend to sit down. We don't have time for any stupid formalities." Enni said flopping lopsidedly into a chair. 'I'll have a coke please." He added to the tuxedo-clad waiter he sweapt over to their table almost instantly. "So how are things Robert." He grinned.

Tno: So now that I have added yet another chapter I am hoping to get some reviews from my precious reviewers. Now I'm not sure if you made the connection there so I'll tell it to you. The word 'reviewer' has the word 'review' in there, which means that since you are a 'reviewer' you must 'review'. And in fanfiction there is no such thing as just being a reader, so don't even try to get by with such a cheep excuse, I'm on too you, you evil kangaroos.

Clarence: Yes...what she said...now be gone and review!


	6. chapter 6

Chapter 6:

**Tno: Well, well welcome back. I am soooooo sooooo sorry this chapter took so long I'll try to make the next one quicker. Now my dear sweet little wallabies that I love and cherish, how are we feeling today? (Hopefully you all feel like reviewing). And today Clarence and I get to answer a few reviews that we finally have for you. Now, on with Clarence who will help me answer the faithful ones and then I promise that we will get on with the story. (Remember, Kinkajous keep their word).**

**Clarence: well _Cloud's Tifa strife_ the story's just going to change even more. Lol. Your just going to have to read and find out what we changed though.**

**_Drago-kai:_ glad your liking the new and improved version. It's just going to get better and better. Muhahaha, not to mention more twisted…but you'll have to wait and see about that…**

**_Big W:_ glad your liking it, and hopefully you won't try and throw kinkajou into a half frozen pool and murder her otherwise the next chapters would never be put up. Lol.**

**Thanks for the reviews guys and keep sending them…or I'll come after you with my chainsaw of doom.**

Chapter 6:

"So how are things Robert?" He grinned.

"Why do you want to know?" Enni's former teammate retorted.

"Don't be like that Robert. The Majestics had been going down hill since we got hit by the blade breakers. Speaking of which…" Enni trailed off grinning. He knew how to play Roberts mind. The guy may have been extremely intelligent but he was still human and human beings are curious, vengeful, jealous, etc…

"What?" Robert sipped his wine delicately.

"We're living with them now." Enni said as the waiter arrived, placing the coke before him as though it were a dead frog.

"What would I care for them anyway. I don't know why they want to live around those time bombs."

"Because Balkov tried to kill them, and in the process _Gwen_ destroyed their blades." Enni placed a lot of emphasis on the _Gwen's_ name watching Robert's face change.

"Are they O.K.?" He asked turning away as though he couldn't have cared less.

"They're alright, but they won't be once Boris finds out that we're hiding here. That's why we need you."

"O.K. Enrique, what do you want?" Robert relented.

---

"How is it that with the amount of man power you have you still cannot seem to find a group of CHILDREN?" The large man cried from his extremely cushiony red velvet chair. He ran his fingers along the gold inlay sighing as if he were trying to stop himself from committing a murder. Boris looked over from where he sat near the enormous television where the news was playing on mute.

"I ask you to remember sir that these are not _normal_ children and they are nearly adults for that matter." Boris stopped speaking as Voltaire slammed his hand into the glass coffee table, smashing it.

"Where are they Boris, you have ransacked almost the entirety of Europe and a good part of Asia, how hard can it be to find eight teenagers with uncontrollable powers?" Voltaire exploded but Boris had stopped listening. He was watching the T.V. with much more interest and he turned on the volume.

'_This small Canadian town has lately been experiencing strange weather patterns that have somehow stopped for the moment. Only about a week ago there was a sudden electrical storm that lasted for only a brief ten minutes before disappearing completely. This was later followed by a tremendous earthquake that somehow caused almost no damage, this too lasted only briefly. Meteorologists are baffled, they have no idea where this weather has been coming from…here with me is-.'_ Boris turned off the T.V. smiling.

"It's not going to be hard to find them. Not hard at all, it was only a matter of time."

---

It wasn't just Boris and Voltaire who had seen the news bulletin. The girls had been lounged around the living room flipping channels when they had stumbled across the news broadcast that announced their ultimate doom. A loud cussing suddenly rang through the house and a moment later, the Blade Breakers were downstairs looking a little frightened.

"What just happened?" Ray asked pulling Ari up from where she sat on the floor.

"Boris knows where we are. He has too." Sid looked at the now black screen.

"Well with all the people he has working for him there has to be one of them who saw that." Ari shook, Ray still holding her arm.

Kai looked over at Sid and Gwen who were frozen on the couch. "What are you people talking about?" He asked demandingly.

"This town was just on the news because of all the weather stuff we've been setting off." Gwen was digging her nails into the soft material of the couch. "Where's Enni?" She added in a whisper.

Ari pulled her arm away from Ray, not savagely like she normally would, but absentmindedly as she and Sid wrapped their arms around their friend and fought back their tears each in her own way.

"What are we going to do, run off again?" Gwen sobbed wiping her tears with the hand that wasn't trapped by her friend's comforting pretzel embrace.

"Enni will know." Sid whispered "He's got us out before, he can do it again."

"Yeah cuz he's a champion escape artist." Ari added making them all let out a short tear laden laugh.

The boys just stood there completely helpless, if Boris had found them, would he try to kill them again? Would he take the girls back to complete his experiments? The room soon fell into an eerie silence that not even Tyson was brave enough to break.

---

"Fine!" Robert eventually relented, "I'll bring the rest of the team to the house just give the address to Gustav on your way out." He instructed coldly. Robert and Enni didn't exactly see eye to eye anymore. But Robert still wasn't going to leave him in the lurch. It was more because Robert was well bred and tried to never be the sour loser, also Enni had something he cared for.

He watched the blond down the rest of his coke, failing to hide his look of distaste. Enni grinned at him writing the address on a paper napkin and left with a small, quick nod of his head.

"Uncouth." Robert sighed sipping at his expensive wine.

"Will that be all sir?" The waiter appeared at his side as he finished the glass.

"Yes thank you." He nodded and paid the bill noting the appearance of the fizzy beverage at the bottom.

---

"Girls I'm home!" Enni called cheerily through the house as he walked through the front door. He was greeted with silence. "What's this? No hugs and kisses." He chuckled but stopped as he saw them all gathered in the kitchen silent and scared.

"Enni." Gwen whispered and collapsed in his arms. "I can't do it, I can't run anymore, we can't escape them." She sobbed.

"What happened?"

"Boris is coming for us." Sid muttered into emptiness. "And this was the last place to run too, we've been everywhere else."

"What now Enni? Huh?" Ari hissed angrily. "What do we do now. We are going to die. You have to STOP pretending and stop believing that there's any way to save us." Enni just stood there and took it.

"Would you have preferred living a life as ascience experiment?" He said, his voice was dark and low, he didn't sound at all like the Enni that had come through the door just a moment ago.

"I would have preferred not being alive at all."

"You know I wouldn't let you do that."

"Why not, Taranis and I live in pain and I want it to stop, we live to run from that corrupt idiot who won't leave us alone." Ari spat.

"Yeah well you're not the only one Ari." Gwen retorted from where she shivered in Enni's hold. "Why should you have to kill yourself when we are prepared to keep living. There has to be some kind of end that doesn't involve suicide."

"We have no way of stopping this, we are going to keep losing control until we eventually die from our own strength, because it's not our strength is it!"

"Ari shut-up!" Sid cried smacking her. "You know you can't do it. Rememberwhen Boris almost killed us with one of his machines.You told me you wanted to live. You can't just turn your back when things get hard. We always find a way to get out." Ari made a noise that sounded like she had just let everything she ever felt escape and she sat down heavily on the floor.

"I'm sorry." She whispered. Gwen pulled out of Enni's embrace and knelt on the floor with her friend. It was her turn to give back some of the comfort she had absorbed from them over the years.

The blade breakers watched the scene, thoughts running through their heads so fast they were getting dizzy. They had too many questions, and too many fears. What was going to happen when Boris found them?

---

"Just be there." Robert spat into the phone.

"Fine, fine. Don't start bitching." The arrogant voice replied on the speakerphone. "What about Oliver?"

"He's here." Robert answered. "He'll be coming with me."

"Look I know that you don't really feel like telling stories but just at least give me a basic outline of WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON!"

"The girls are in trouble and please clean up your language Johnny when speaking to me."

"Sorry Mr. Prince but I'm going to talk however the hell I want, o.k. Fucker. See you there." Johnny's voice answered and the phone went dead.

"Uncouth little…arg." Robert glared at the phone.

"You should have known better than to try reasoning with Johnny." A boy with longish green hair said from his seat by the fireplace. Robert just grunted in reply. (much like Kai only this is a Robert grunt). "What trouble are the girls in exactly?"

"If I knew I would have told you." Robert answered testily.

"Well those girls always get into trouble." Oliver shrugged. "Remember when they lived in the shelter?" He laughed

"I'd rather not." Robert replied as Gustav appeared with a couple of Martinis.

"You'd think that you'd get drunk all the time with all the alcohol you down." The green-hared boy grinned.

"I would never get drunk if my life depended on it." He retorted.

"Whatever." Oliver shrugged again knocking back the drink.

---

"They're going to have to fight back this time." Kai said while the others sat with him in the living room. "But I don't think they actually know how." A thunderstorm had started outside.

"You could have fooled me the way the took on those guys back in Japan." Tyson said taking off his hat absently.

"Well they didn't actually fight them, they mostly dodged them. They almost only kill people when they lose it, I think." Max thought aloud.

The room went suddenly quiet again as they all waited for Ray to add in his bit. Ray had once been a fighter before, he had been taught to be a master of the martial arts. A samurai among samurai's. But he had left that part of his past after he had accidentally killed one of his opponents. His friends never spoke of it, he had forbidden them too.

"Guys you know I can't …" He put his head in his hand.

"Ray come on." Max pleaded.

"We could all learn a few more fighting skills." Kai agreed.

"Please Ray."

"I don't know how much I will remember." Ray said sullenly.

---

The thunderstorm had gotten worse, and Gwen was alone in her room, she shook in her bed, storms had always scared her ever since she was little. There was a knock at her door and Enni came in looking a little sheepish.

"I figured you'd be a little scared so I thought I'd come keep you company." He grinned.

"Oh wow, you're so generous." Gwen said sarcastically, her eyebrow raised.

"What." He raised his hands in mock defense.

"Are you sure there was no other reason you came here?" She asked knowingly.

"Well…"He stopped and went over to the bed wrapping his arms around her. "To be honest I've been a little worried about you…and I've been a little…let's just say Gwen deprived." He whispered.

"Yeah well we've all been peace deprived." She retorted.

"Listen everything is going to be fine, I'm going to make sure." Enni said leaning forward.

"Oh really how?" She asked leaning away from him.

"Hey what's with the sarcastic pushingoff all of a sudden? I'm actually not trying to get in your pants my love."

"Wow, that's a first, you know you Italians, built for speed." She grinned hesitantly and then let out a small yelp when Enni caught her on the open mouth. He pulled away laughing and she just pretended to pout.

"Damn I missed that." He grinned and she let him kiss her again.

---

Ari was sitting in Sid's room as they watched the rainfall. Her heart pounded loudly in her ears at every clap of thunder her blood rushing through her veins, racing the lightning. She loved this weather and feared it. She was going tobe hurtfrom her air element sooner or later; ironically it would be something she enjoyed so much.

"Stop staring at it Ari. You look possessed." Sid said laying back on the bed.

"Well considering I get possessed by it once a month then I wouldn't be surprised." She retorted averting her eyes from the storm.

"Enni's going to think up a way to save all of us." Sid thought allowed.

"Right." Ari said, her voice dripping with disbelief. "Is he in Gwen's -."

"-Yup." Sid answered.

"Do you think they're -."

"- Probably…do the guys know about -?"

"-Nope."

"O.K. then." Sid nodded asthough satisfied.

"Can I look outside again?" Ari asked

"No." Sid said defiantly. "I don't want you accidentally trashing my room missy."

"Fine." Ari got up and went to the door. "Then I'll go trash mine." She said

"Great." Sid thought allowed again.

---

Ray walked up the stairs to the attic as Ari was going into her room. He smiled slightly and she gave him a warning look.

"If you're hear for me don't bother. I'm not in the talking mood." She growled.

"You don't have to talk then." He grinned and her glare became frigid. "Don' worry sweetheart I'm here to talk to Enni." He grinned reaching to ruffle her hair, just because he liked to piss her off.

"Well Enni's downstairs." Ari retorted shrinking away. "In Gwen's room she added knowing he'd probably go bother Sid although she figured he'd go anyway. "So there is really no point in you being here."

"You really need to loosen up girl." He shook his head hearing he door slamming.

He jumped he next two flights of stairs just to see if he could still land on his feet. He slipped after the first jump but on the second he cleanly planted his feet on the floor making hardly a sound. Satisfied, he made his way to Gwen's room, seeing Sid's door open though he decided to make a short 'visit'.

"Hey." He smiled.

"Why are you so cheerful?" She asked solemnly.

"Well aren't you and Ari a bundle of laughs." He frowned.

"O.K. What do you want Kon?" She sighed getting up.

"I just thought I'd see how you were doing before I went to see Enni, and clearly you're fine so I'll just be on my way." He saluted her going next door.

"You do that…"she froze suddenly. "Ray wait a sec." she called but when she got to him it was too late. He knocked, opening the door to see Enni snogging Gwen passionately on the bed…horizontal on the bed (no they are not having sex, they both have their cloths on they are simply making out for those who don't know what snogging means).

Gwen was the first to see them and she let out a small scream of alarm reflexively pushing Enni off her. He fell onto the floor, rubbing his back.

"Ouch. Jeez, would you mind giving me a little warning next time you…" He trailed off noticing Ray at the door. "Hey Ray what's up…uh so…you wouldn't have happened to see anything that we might have been doing not that I'm saying we were doing anything at all (cough) affectionate." He coughed, mumbling aimlessly. Gwen and Sid slapped their foreheads in frustration.

"Oh my god my boyfriend is an idiot." Gwen sighed and then slapped her mouth. "I didn't just say that out loud…never mind I did." She said.

"Yeah what were you saying about ME being an idiot princess." Enni scoffed.

"Shut up." Gwen hissed under her breath.

"Hey guys I was guessing it anyways O.K." Ray said getting over his initial shock of seeing the more 'innocent' of the three involved in a passionate tongue-boxing match with his rival player.

"Well do me a favor and don't tell anyone, unless you want Ari to remove something your fond of." Gwen threatened. Ray sweat dropped, sighing loudly.

"What is it with you girls tonight I swear to god." He shook his head. "I ain't gonna tell anyone but I think Kai's already guessed." He added "And Max and Tyson should get it in about month or so." He said under his breath. And that was when the doorbell rang.

The group waited in mild surprise until they heard Tyson screaming up the stairs.

"What the HELL, GET OUT THIS GUY'S GONNA KILL US!"

**Tno: Mwahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha. Oh the joy of your tortured cries of anger as you scream at me for having left you with a cliffy. Sure it ain't a great one but nonetheless your current hatred for me is joy to my very soul. Don't get me wrong I love all of you my little kazoos (I'm not entirely sure what that is but whatever). You see you're only going to hate me for a little while until I give your next As One fix and then you'll hate me again, and then you'll be happy, and then you'll hate me. Aaah the cycle works my loves. Now I shall bid you adieu for both Clarence and I since I hope she is in bed and resting her intelligent brain right now for school tomorrow (great --). Anyhoo. Bye bye my fine feathered friends. P.S. (Thank you to a certain someone for the built for speed line, i hope you don't mind but we just had to add it.)**


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7:

Tno: Now I have a few things to say before we begin. Firstly this chapter is dedicated to Sophia for she was feeling rather under the weather when we began to write this chappie. Secondly, we have some wonderful reviews to answer my lovely kookaburras. And I am mortified by how long it took me, I am truly sorry and I know no excuse is good enough but I shall say them anyway, (first off I'm trying to pass my MEQ exams so I can graduate this year, and I also suffered a very long and painful writer's block). And now Clarence, take it away. (Don't forget Holly). Oh yes and Holly (and for others who may not understand the reason why Sid called Ray 'Kon' in the last chapter) 'Kon' is Ray's last name.

Clarence: sup peeps? So thanks for the reviews and yes Brittany, here's the chapter, it's done! Now you won't have to kill kinkajou with a bookmark. Anyway have fun reading.

Chapter 7:

"What the HELL, GET OUT THIS GUY'S GONNA KILL US!"

The four teens looked at each other and ran down the stares to see a figure in a black hood covering his face standing in the doorway. He was laden with sharp, lethal objects of torture. Ari ran down the stairs in bewildered silence, as Max and Kai joined them from the living room. That was when the hooded figure began to laugh. It wasn't really a comforting laugh, more the bone chilling I'm-off-my-rocker type laugh.

"Tyson, Tyson." He chuckled slapping the terrified boy in the back heartily. "You always were a fool."

"I know that voice." Enni grinned, as the figure pulled his hood back and smirked allowing his spiky red hair to dance around his head, free of the heavy hood. A bandanna kept the fiery strands out of his rebellious gray eyes.

"JOHNNY?" The three girls almost screamed in disbelief. Gwen began to run down the hall but Ari had beaten her to it, jumping at him and hugging him tightly.

"Oh my god we missed you guys. Are the others coming? How are they? How are you? Wow so much has happened." Ari said in one long breath stopping to catch it.

"That's my girl." Johnny shook his head grinning then he was almost flattened by the other two girls who practically steamrolled him into the wood floor.

"JOHNNY!" Gwen cried, her arms attached around his neck.

"O.K. ladies please, there's enough Johnny to go around." He smirked and the girls raised their eyebrows.

"Still as overly cocky as ever." Sid sighed.

"Don't you know it." Enni said coming over and greeting Johnny in a slightly more calm way.

The other boys looked a little taken a back, though they were getting used to the surprises. Kai had been looking tense and pretty much twice as pissed off as usual. And when Johnny caught sight of him he mirrored Kai's anger. Their tempers were exactly alike although Johnny tended to be much more of an egomaniac since well he was a rich kid who practically lived in a castle. Kai on the other hand was brought up in a rich family but his grandfather was an asshole and he was lucky to have escaped when he did. Although he might not have escaped so completely.

Ari decided this would be a good time to step in so she swiftly took Johnny's arm grinning and signaling for the other two to help her.

"Anyway Johnny, we have so much catching up to do." She said as Sid joined her and they took him into the living room.

"What the hell is that bastard doing here?" Kai flared loudly, hearing a satisfying growl from the other room.

"Hey Kai, why don't you go upstairs and I'll bring you something to help cool you down." Gwen gave Enni and Ray meaningful looks. She had heard about the way Kai and Johnny really couldn't stand one another, they would prefer to pretend that the other didn't exist. She sighed taking a can of beer from the fridge. She didn't really approve of underage drinking but she was the last one to try and tell Kai of all people what to do. Once upstairs he accepted the beer and drank it quickly tossing the can into the garbage.

"Thanks." he said looking at the floor. He hated the way he acted, especially around the girls, but getting close wasn't really his thing. He was better at being the shadow in the corner rather than the happy-go-lucky type like Tyson and Max, or the player like Ray. He sighed and sat down on his bed. "Sorry, the guy just pisses me off." He grunted to the timid girl in the doorway. "I don't mean to be such a heartless ass, I'm not really like that I just…" Gwen cut him off shaking her head.

"Don't worry about it. Believe me Sid and I have Ari and well Johnny can kind of tend to get that way too." She paused noting Kai's look of displeasure at the name. "I guess that's why he's one of the only guys she can get along with aside from Enni." Gwen shrugged. Kai looked away.

"They deserve each other." He smirked.

"HAHAHA!" Gwen laughed suddenly as Kai's eyebrow rose wondering weather or not she was still sane. "Those two, a couple. Not in this life time." Gwen chuckled. "Nah, that's what Johnny wants but I'm not sure Ari feels the same." Gwen continued to laugh a little. "They would make an interesting pair though." She agreed, smiling. "Anyhow, they're probably waiting downstairs. Come if you want." She shrugged and left.

"…So then Gwen went mental on those Balkov goons, we kidnapped the Blade Breakers, brought them here…" Ari continued to explain.

"And now Boris knows where we are, and boss 'Voltaire' probably knows too now, so…you can pretty much guess from there." Sid finished. Johnny nodded solemnly looking from one face to the next. Kai had still not come down.

"Should I…?" Gwen began to ask.

"No I'll go this time." Ari said. "The guy needs a kick up the ass if you ask me. I might be able to knock out the poll he's got stuck up there." She fumed heading for the stares. Gwen just shook her head as Johnny watched Ari leave.

"Is there anything going on between her and that pile of shi-." He began.

"It would be a miracle if something was going on between Ari and _anyone_." Sid shook her head.

"Oh and you're one to talk." Enni crossed his arms sarcastically.

Ari barged into Kai's room a couple of seconds later, fuming. She stood in the doorway in her usual stance. Hands in her pockets and feet apart in an authoritative manner though few people who knew her took it seriously.

"What the hell is your problem?" She said in an I'm-trying-very-hard-to-be-calm voice.

"I take it the idea of knocking eludes you." Kai retorted not even batting an eyelid.

"Look you seem to have a real problem with everyone around here. And to be honest it's pissing us ALL off."

"Shouldn't you be making-out with Johnny somewhere?" He retorted again.

"Been there, done that." She replied boredly. And Kai sat up interested. Realizing what she'd just said she immediately wished she hadn't "Aw crap." She cursed.

"Well, well, well. Now I have something on you too." He grinned. "Manipulating you girls is disturbingly easy." He sighed standing up and mirroring Ari's stance.

"You can't tell anyone Kai, unless you would like me to kill you the next time I loose it." She said dangerously. "Besides, that's been over for a long time now."

"You couldn't kill me, I'm too hot." He laughed meaning it quite literally since his element is fire.

"You and Johnny are too much alike." Ari snarled. "Don't be so arrogant. I wouldn't hesitate to kill you Hiwatari."

"Then maybe you should do a little reading on your element sweetheart." Kai said, "Fire cancels air." He turned to the window. "And never compare me to Johnny again or I'm going to have to start making a habit of hitting girls."

"Well if Johnny were in your position he would be doing the same damn thing." Ari retorted. "So if you don't want to be compared to him, stop acting like him." She finished and left, knowing she'd touched a nerve.

Gwen had been looking worriedly at the stairs and waiting for either of the two thickheaded teens to start screaming or for Taranis to start growling.

"He better not lay a finger on her." Johnny said looking in the same direction. He smiled when Ari walked in and sat abruptly on the floor.

"You didn't get far did you?" Ray smiled cockily at her. "He's a strong-willed bastard." The amber-eyed boy shook his head but stopped when the Russian came into the room and went to sit on the couch next to Sid.

"What the hell did you do to crack his thick scull?" Tyson said and regretted it when he heard a warning sound come from deep inside Kai's chest.

"I have a thicker scull I guess." She answered, as the doorbell rang again. Enni had only enough time to open the door when a shriek erupted in the room from all three girls once again, only louder this time.

"OLIVER, ROBBIE." The girls said as they ran at the two boys who had just come through the door.

"How many times have I told you not to call me Robbie?" Robert said.

"Oh come on, let the girls have their fun." Oliver said clearly enjoying the attention. (Which should over ride the thought that he is gay, and most people who see pictures of him do in fact either think he's gay or that he is a very boyish girl (his spirit is a unicorn o.k.) but we love him).

"Alright!" Gwen said. "So what made you guys come down to Canada?" The three newcomers looked at one another and glanced at Enni.

"Enni?" Sid looked a little uncertain that she had interpreted this correctly.

"We need to learn to fight." Enni explained. "Or at least you three girls do, I think that Kai and Ray know a lot about man to man combat but you girls don't know much. Though that was a nice shot Ari pulled on the Blakov soldier back in Japan." He acknowledged.

"Thanks, it was all luck though." She grinned. They heard a cough and Max stood up gesturing towards Ray who had just realized he had never mentioned the idea of him becoming a martial arts teacher.

"Well Ray is a black belt in Karate, Judo, Tai-kwon-doe…and he'll be glad to teach everyone here." Max said.

"I will?" Ray asked not so sure anymore, the memory of the young boy from the village haunted is mind still from time to time.

"Sure." Sid smiled brightly looking over at the black hared youth on the carpet. "It might be fun after all."

"Mwahahahahahahaha. I'm finally going to learn to kick some ass." Ari grinned triumphantly, her formerly cloudy mood was lifted as though by magic.

"Hold on I never said I would…"

"O.K. so Ray will tech the martial arts in the mornings we break for lunch, and then Robert and Johnny will have the afternoons." Enni nodded marking something on a paper.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Kai asked.

"It means we're going to be learning a lot of self defense." Oliver retorted not unkindly.

"And I know who's going to be my punching bag." Johnny hissed under his breath glancing darkly at the gorgeous Russian.

"Wow this is starting to sound like Hogwarts for killers and rapists." Ari said bluntly.

"Excuse me?" Robert looked shocked. "How-."

"-If you so much as think the word uncouth I think I'm going to lose it." Tyson said suddenly.

Gwen had been quiet the whole time thinking about the idea of fighting. Hadn't hiding worked? Couldn't they just avoid getting caught?

"I don't want to kill anymore Enni." She whispered, though she wasn't heard above everyone else who were discussing seriously about the plan Enni had though up. Her eyes began to well but she forced the tears back. She wouldn't cry, No, no, no. But she had never been very good at holding back her sadness.

"Gwen what's wrong?" Sid and Ari both noticed almost immediately, almost like they could smell the tears.

"I don't want to kill anymore Enni." She said in a quavering voice. He walked over and sat down hugging her.

"I know. You might not have too." He said though there was a heavy dosage of doubt behind his words. If someone came after her obviously she would have to defend herself to some extent. No one had been truly exited about the idea in the first place. The majority were more scared than anything. Robert, Oliver and Johnny stood in the doorway, waiting for all the emotion to subside. They were used to fighting, hell their launchers had been in the shape of weapons for crying out loud. Robert seemed to have a stiff almost snobbish disposition that radiated from him seeing as he was a prince and all, Where as Oliver just seemed to be a very well dressed French boy with an artistic flare in his eyes. And as for Johnny well you wouldn't be able to tell he was rich unless you knew him. No matter how they dressed or behaved though, it was clear to the rest of the boys that the girls loved them like family. Sort of how they treated Enni who had once been a part of the high-class group.

Enni sat with the three girls as they thought over everything that had been happening to them in the last few years. Gwen had stopped crying but the room stayed silent. She thought back to when she'd first met Enni and the others.

She had been living at a youth shelter with Ari and Sid, all three of them runaways. She had used the shelter computer to have a long distance big brother little sister relation with Robert though she'd never actually met him before.

She would sit at that computer for hours and just talk to him and his friends though she couldn't place faces to the names. Eventually Ari and Sid butted in and invited the four boys to come down and live at the shelter with them for a little while. Robert hadn't been to keen on the shelter thing but since the other three had been all for the idea he had ended up coming along.

As soon as they met though Sid and Enni recognized each other, both coming from an Italian background. Ari surprisingly got on really well with the four right away, (which is rare), and Gwen easily settled into life with them around. They stayed for about a year until…stuff happened.

Everyone eventually went their separate ways, the three boys returned to their hotel, (Robert wasn't about to go through the experience of living with those four again, and Ari didn't trust having Johnny around).

"So, you and Johnny have a history I hear." Ray said venturing bravely into Ari's room. Surprisingly she didn't attack him. Instead she just sat by the open window looking out almost lazily at the River. She shrugged.

"No not really. We went out a few times as a couple but it only lasted about two weeks." She answered easily.

"So his love is unrequited." He sort sighed-laughed flopping onto her bead and staring at her ceiling. "Hey were those stars up there before?" Ray pointed at the glow in the dark stickers, barely visible in the daylight, scattered across the ceiling.

"No, my dad gave them too me a long time ago. I just felt like putting them up in this house for some reason." She shrugged again absently as though she wasn't really paying attention.

"O.K. now this is getting scary, since when do you let anyone, never mind me, invade your personal space? And since when have you just answered questions without biting my head of for that matter?"

"I don't know, when I put the stars up I just felt sort of tired but I couldn't sleep. I just don't care right now I guess." Ari was definitely not acting like herself.

"That's it." He said standing up. "Come on, we're going to see your buddies."

"Why now, they'll still be here tomorrow." Ari sighed, not even flinching when he put his hand on her arm.

"There's something going on and I think it has something to do with your spirit thing. Maybe some kind of after effect to your outburst or something." She turned to look at him for the first time since he'd come to see her and he took a step back. Here pupils had been reduced to a size so small, they were nearly non-existent and a black circle had appeared around her irises. He looked out the window at the sun, almost completely sunk below the horizon. WHAT, the sun was setting. He looked back into the room at the ceiling, at the stars that had begun to glow softly. The stars! He had to get her out. He grabbed her hand and pulled her to the door.

"Ray, what are you doing?" She whispered. Ray didn't answer, he nearly had to drag her down two flights of stairs and realized at the bottom of the second one that she was unconscious.

"Ray what the hell's going on?" Kai asked coming down the hall.

"Oh good you're here." Ray answered picking up Ari and placing her in Kai's arms. "Look after her I'll be right back." He said and ran off.

"Hey Ray hang on a sec…" For once in his life Kai had been cut off and now he was stuck holding on to a psycho who hated him and had the power to unleash the biggest canine known to man on him as soon as she woke up. He tried to turn around without waking her but to no avail. She began to stir and opened he eyes looking up at him tiredly.

"What's going on?" She said sounding a little drugged. Kai was suspicious. Why wasn't she trying to brutally massacre him?

"I don't know." He answered a little unsure.

"My head hurts." She exclaimed suddenly changing the subject out of nowhere. She made a painful noise almost like a dog crying and collapsed on his chest.

"O.K. I want about twenty million tones of whatever drug Ray gave you cuz it's definitely working." Kai said to himself. He looked around and figured the closest place to go (where there would be no danger of her getting raped by Tyson) would be his room. Unfortunately she woke up again just as he was trying to put her down.

"What the-no go away." She said groggily not making any clear sense. "Leave Taranis alone you bastard. Enni stop him…Enni…ENNI!" Ari started crying and screaming seeming almost delirious. "Don't let Voltaire hurt me again."

Meanwhile Enni and Gwen had been sitting in her room while she rummaged around throwing all her possessions all over the place.

"Gwen what are you looking for?" Enni said, finally getting annoyed when a shoe hit his head.

"That necklace I got from my mom." She answered crawling under the bed. "AHA!" she exclaimed as a triumphant hand appeared over her mattress, a black string with a pendant hanging from it clutched in her fist. She got up and tied the string around her neck, letting the pendant fall just above the collar of her shirt. It was the image a mermaid, made of pewter and holding a sort of huge bead that made it look like she was playing with a large bubble.

"So what's so special about that necklace?" Enni said, genuinely interested as always when talking to one of his girls (especially Gwen).

"It's just the only present that my mom gave me that I managed to bring along with me when I ran off on my little 'adventure'." She grinned. "Besides I find that it really represents Ceridwen and I." She grinned and then got a weird look on her face, she turned around to face Enni the light of the sunset catching the clear marble on the necklace. She took a sort of step forward looking almost menacing but in a strange sort of way. Enni watched her a little longer, wordlessly but his instinct was telling him that something wasn't right.

That was when Ray ran into the room and he looked at Gwen a little scared. She had spun around with almost supper human speed and looked like she was going to kill him. That definitely wasn't Gwen's nature. She was actually refreshingly passive. (Ari's not passive Ari is completely out of it).

"What happened to you?" Ray asked.

"None of you business. GET OUT!" She cried and lunged at him, forcing him to dodge out of her way a back into a corner of the room. Enni was standing now and walking slowly over to Gwen, sort of like a trained animal handler trying to calm a wild animal with very sharp fangs.

"Gwen relax." He said in an I'm-trying-very-hard-to-be-calm-but-you're-scaring-the-shit-out-of-me voice. She looked at him and growled angrily.

"Back off Enni." She almost hissed. She sounded scarier than Ari when she was pissed.

"How did this start?" Ray said rolling out of another punch. He watched with growing foreboding as her fist put a dent in the wall.

"I don't know she just put on that necklace that her mom gave her." That was when they herd Ari scream Enni's name. She sounded absolutely terrified.

"I think we should get out of here so we can talk Enni suggested throwing himself on the floor as Gwen went to attack him.

"Yeah and maybe we should bar the door." Ray added and he launched himself out the door. Enni just made it out after him. The two boys struggled against the suddenly formidable Gwen closing the door and pulling a chair in front of it that Ray had pulled from his room. O.K. I'm going to go get Kai now, I just hope he and Ari haven't killed each other yet. He saluted Enni and ran off for the second time. There a sweet lavender sent on the air he thought as he stood up. As he did so he heard a bone-chilling meow from behind him. He turned around and then next thing he knew, he was on his back, while Sid sat on his chest grinning comically, two sharp fangs protruding just a little over her lower lip.

"Sid wants to play." She purred.

Tno: Mwahahahahahahaha, let me guess you have no idea what's going on, you are confused and you are pissed at e for making you wait so long for such a lovely cliffy. I love cliffies. Oh yes and Clarence I really hope you don't mind the changes but I found that thinking back over it, the first idea was really, just a little too racy for so early in the story and also that I didn't want Gwen to be a whore (you-know-who's fault or not). So anyway, if you really don't appreciate the changes just tell me and I'm sure we can twist things to suit us both in the next chappie.

Now I know you all must be pretty upset about this little cliffy but fear not my friends, school is finally over (except for another French exam, the math, the prom, and the grad) So by June 22 I should be free again to write on week nights and weekends (unfortunately I work on weekdays full time). Anyhoo, so you must understand why I didn't get this chapter to you sooner, and if any of you ppl out there are writers, you know the dreadful black oblivion of writer's block and how infuriating it can be. Also I do try to have a life like most of you. (I love la Ronde, The Monster, The Vampire, The Boomerang…aaah joy to my very soul, o h yes and I have a contract that says Clarence will be going on the Monster with me this summer and I will be sure to give you updates on that you can be sure of it. Mwahaha). Anyhoo, I think I have said enough, on to the parting word of my dear, dear Clarence. Take in away oh Pale Faced Loon. Adieu my lovely Wallabies.

Clarence: well hope you liked it, and kinkajou is now telling what's going on as she has kept me somewhat in the dark about this. Anyway see y'all next chapter.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8:

Tno: Well I'm back and I'm so soooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo sorry that this chappie took so much time constructing. Now I know that many of you have interesting questions and I will answer all those that don't involve you guys trying to trick me into giving away anything about the story. There's no point if there's no suspense. (For those to whom this is directed, YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE). And now on to Clarence followed by the story.

Clarence: wassup peeps? Well it's too early to be here writing this, I have no idea what's going to happen in the chapter so go read and review. There will be more Clarence after the chapter.

P.S. (ATTENTION: Do not read this chapter if you are alone at home and it's nighttime. I will not accept lawsuits from people who tell me I scared them too much, you have been warned).

Chapter 8:

"Sid wants to play." She purred. Enni just looked at Sid completely terrified. If this was just Sid's 'spirit' taking over her (they do that from time to time), then he knew how she played. (Don't think dirty you filthy, filthy minded people. If a panther wanted to play with you don't you think you would be scared)?

"O.K. Sid we can play a game." He said as calmly as possible. "But to play you're going to have to let me get up." He winced waiting for the claws to slash across his face, but they didn't instead he felt her weight lift of his chest as she sort of moved next to his head I wide grin on her face.

"You play game." She almost meowed witch made her words sort of inaudible.

"We're going to play a game Sid. It's called Hide and Seek. Now I'm going to count to 30 and you have to find a place to hide. You win if I can't find you O.K." He said very patiently considering he was actually talking to a cat. "I'm going to start counting now so hurry up." He smiled and turned around hearing her run off by the time he had reached about 2. When the coast was clear he ran to find Ray and Kai.

Kai was trying to calm down Ari who had pulled away from him with surprising strength and backed away watching him with unnervingly calm hatred.

"Ari, you're not well." He attempted to reason with the girl but she just growled.

"I want revenge for what you did to me Voltair you coward." She said darkly all the lights in the room went out at this point leaving only the moon and any light from outside to filter through the window.

"Oh this is not good." Ray said from the doorway as he came running from where he left Enni.

"No really?" Kai's voice dripped with sarcasm as Ari's eyes turned black (literally). He felt the pain in his chest from the earlier encounter begin to strengthen. He had to leave the room.

"Listen Kai isn't Voltair." Ray said calmly as possible from the door. He hasn't done anything to you.

"You're lying, I can smell his blood I can see it." Ari's voice was unshaken and remained at a level tone (highly unnatural).

"I guess that's what I get for being his grandson." Kai growled.

Sid scampered (so to speak) down the hall looking for a place to hide were it would also be easy to pounce on Enni if he ever did find her, then they would play HER game (again don't think dirty. This is more the kind of game where people lose limbs and eyes and other such important body parts). She suddenly picked up something from behind a door nearby; the door had been barred from the outside by a heavy chair (Sid's been wandering downstairs which is how she only came across this room now). There was a distinct feeling coming from inside the room. Body heat…pacing body heat…angry, hateful. Sid was immediately intrigued. Enni's game suddenly forgotten (cat's are easily distracted let's face it), Sid pulled the chair away from the door sliding it loudly across the floor. The door was flung open, black water flowing out of the room and gathering obediently at Gwen's feet, here necklace glowed eerily, a soft green color. The black water looked more like a piece of silk that had fallen at her feet except for the fact that it moved and rippled spontaneously.

"Thanks." Gwen said unsmiling at the cat like girl in front of her. "Since you helped me escape I'll spare your life."

Sid just looked at Gwen skeptically; it was as though they didn't know one another (and in fact they don't for the moment). Gwen turned and walked away the water trailing behind her with an almost blood-like air to it. (Think the ring, or dark water something along those lines). Sid grinned inwardly as she left. This was definitely a new development in her game. She smiled, her fangs elongating a little long claws had slowly been growing as well and her eyes now looked almost like a green colored version of Ray's. She purred loudly and ran back down the hall…

Enni had just reached Kai's room as Kai himself and Ray were leaving it.

"I'm really getting sick of surprises." Kai muttered running for the basement. "And can one of you please explain what's going on." This was followed by two summaries of both Enni and Ray's experiences with the three girls.

"O.K. so if I get this right Ari reacted to the stars on her ceiling, which is freaky enough as it is. Gwen is possessed by a necklace…so what's Sid's problem?" Kai summed up.

"Well there was a smell of lavender in the air before she jumped on me." Enni said shrugging.

"So it would be a safe bet to suggest lavender perfume." Max said from behind them.

"Max how the hell do you know what's going on?" Enni gasped trying to make sure he still had a pulse after getting startled for the millionth time that night.

"I'm not stupid and unlike some people (meaningful indication of Tyson), I can't sleep through three insane chicks destroying the house."

"And the perfume? How did you know about that?" Kai asked before Max pulled out a vintage perfume bottle from his pocket. It was one of those mini portable ones that women would normally carry in their tiny handbags in their early twenties perhaps.

"O.K. so how do we stop the effect that they're having on the girls?" Ray shook his head.

"Destroy the problems?" Max shrugged. "It seems logical." He added lifting his arm to smash the bottle into the cement floor.

"Hang on a sec." Enni stayed his hand. "The stars were from Ari's dad, the necklace was from Gwen's mom, I'm willing to bet that this has some special representation for Sid as well. Whomever, or whatever is doing this to the girls is sick and twisted and I wouldn't put it past them to make the girls die if we do this."

"Well what else are we supposed to do?" Max retorted. Everyone went silent.

"The answer is never obvious…" Ray said solemnly "…and it's usually something that we really don't want to do."

"Uh guys why is there a butterfly in the basement?" Max pointed to where a small intricate black butterfly was floating around the room rather than fluttering. It flew more like a bird than an insect.

"Oh this is not good, we have to get out of here." Enni said in absolute fear as a black mist began swirling into the room. "I hope we can all fit through those slot window things." He prayed quietly to himself as they crawled out as fast as they could they looked back at the house and saw that the windows were all black they couldn't see inside if they wanted to and they wondered vaguely weather those inside could see out. They wandered around the house for a couple of minutes following one another in a tight circle, thinking each their own thoughts.

"Oh My God!" Max said loudly from the front of the group. "You scared the living hell out of me Tyson." He added as Tyson emerged from the hedge looking disturbed but not in the usual comical way. Something had scared him badly something…or someone.

"Yeah well how would you feel if you were sleeping and then you woke up to find about a foot of black water all around your bead and Gwen coming out of your mirror?" He asked. "The mirrors are all dripping black water…that's how she's traveling so fast, she's in the mirrors." Tyson had lowered his voice to a harsh whisper. "And the house is full of this black air I can't see anything but I saw a glow at the top of the stairs up at the top, top, tippy, top." Tyson was almost starting to sound a little insane. "And that smell is every wear. It smells like flowers everywhere…hehehe…it's like a garden of darkness."

"O.K. now I'm scared…" Max said, no one needed to say anything to agree with him. It was clear that it was no longer the spirits within the girls they were dealing with. This was something bigger that had possibly been drawn to the spirits and was trying to control them.

"Max take Tyson away from here." Ray ordered. "Don't argue, we're going to try and go in there and stop them…" At this sentence his voice faltered as though someone would say something that would counter his decision, something what would make it impossible for them to go back into the house. But the truth was (and they all knew it), the girls were waiting for them to go back in, the problem would just get worse if they left it alone.

As Max reluctantly dragged Tyson away, the three remaining boys walked up to the door. Enni reached for the doorknob when Kai put a hand on his shoulder looking at the ground, black water was streaming from under the door. Touching the knob Enni felt like his hand had fused to it. The whole door was so cold it almost burned him, like dry ice. The strong lavender smell hit them long before they realized that it was the perfume. (Max had given the bottle to Enni before leaving and he now passed it to Ray). Freezing water was splashing over their feet, and gushing into their shoes.

"Why the hell are you giving this to me?" He asked trying to stop his teeth from chattering.

"I'm thinking it would be better to split up, there's not much more we can do as more than one person and I'm going after Gwen." Enni said.

"And are you volunteering for Ari?" Ray raised an eyebrow at the sullen figure beside him his face unseen in the darkness spilling from the old house.

"I'm not my grandfather just because I have his blood. She needs to see that."

"Are you sure it's HER you're trying to prove that too, or maybe it's yourself?" Enni asked.

"You O.K. with Sid?" Kai asked ignoring Enni.

"You don' know just how O.K. I am. Trust me I'm going to get her back if it kills me." Ray said his voice an obvious imitation of calmness.

"Has anyone realized that we're stalling?"

"Yes."

They stared into the door, they didn't want to go in but at the same time they knew they needed the girls in their own way for their own difficulties and right now the girls needed them. They looked at each other in mock reassurance half wondering why something hadn't jumped out at them yet. And without really saying anything they all took a sep towards the door.

Tno: Now this is normally the kind of situation where Clarence and I would finish the chapter but we've decided to be nice. 1) Because this chappie isn't nearly long enough, 2) I've been promising ppl this chappie since something like May, and 3) Clarence really wants to know what's going to happen in this chapter cuz I'm not telling her even though she is my co-author. (Hey we need to keep a few surprises). O.K. so on with this horror movie chapter…

The three entered the house together knowing they wouldn't stay that way for long. The fear in their chests was overwhelming but they pressed on. If they got out of this alive they'd at least have something to brag about. The water splashed loudly in the silent house even though there was only enough to come up to their ankles. They stopped half way down the hall remembering what Tyson had said, neither of them wanted to look but the definite movement made it clear they weren't alone. Enni could feel the water dripping from the mirror beside them onto his hand. He didn't want to look he didn't want to see but it was impossible to ignore the white fingers slowly extending in his direction from the solid wall. All three boys jumped back as Gwen's cold white hand escaped from the mirror, it rippled like a glass pond, only slightly obscuring the pale figure behind the glass. Her eyes were blank and milky and she looked like she had been drowned water was dripping from her fingers outside the mirror, but inside the glass it looked as though she were swimming. Her hair was moving slowly around her head swaying in a non-existent tide. She did not move any further from the mirror but continued to hold out her hand as though waiting.

"She's crazy if she thinks you're just going to go in there with her." Ray whispered. Water began to splash up Enni's legs pulling him down ward with the clear intent of drowning him.

"That's exactly the point." Kai answered. "She is crazy."

"Now comes the tough question." Enni said in attempt to be his usual comical self, "Ummm…would it be better to drown or follow her in there?" No one could answer that question for him as he struggled to stop the liquid form pulling him to his knees. 'O.K.' he said calmly in his head. 'You'll have more chances of saving her if you go in there and find out what's going on.' He took a step towards her hand, it was more fragile looking than ever and her body seemed more skinny than usual though not exactly anorexic or gaunt. He forced himself to stare at the pendant on her chest and took another step allowing the water to relent a little. 'Just like taking off a band-aid.' He though. He turned and saluted Kai and Ray who were not entirely sure what to do. Then taking a deep breath (that he was personally thinking was going to be his last) and lunged for her hand. No sooner had he grasped it than she pulled him towards her with an incredible amount of strength.

Kai and Ray watched as he disappeared and all the mirrors turned black.

"Should we keep going?" Kai asked.

"Uh probably…"

"Why do I get the feeling it's going to be one of _those_ situations?"

"The ones where all the characters in the horror movie get picked off one by one?" Ray sensed Kai's nod. "I'm getting the same feeling."

The boys sloshed through the water. They were more worried about what was happening to Enni at that moment than anything else. They went by the open door to the basement steps and looked down into the intense darkness.

"That's where Ari was going when we left the house." Kai reasoned putting his foot on on the first step, it too was covered in water, he had guessed that but none the less he somehow slipped and slid a couple of stairs down, the water rising to his waist. The basement was flooded. Both boys saw the movement in the water at the same time and before long Kai was reaching for Ray's hand to pull him up out of the water as a splash erupted where Kai had been. They couldn't see what had caused the movement but whatever it was they weren't to keen on finding out.

"I'm getting the impression that she's not down there." Ray said as Kai stood up refusing to let his body shake with either fear or cold.

"Tyson did say there was a light in the attic. That's where her star things are right?" He didn't wait for an answer but headed for the stairs. The boys were now able to see their breath in the cold emitting from the black mist. But it wasn't only the knowledge of where Ari was that was leading the boys up the stairs, the allure of the lavender sent that was floating around the house had an inescapable pull on the two boys as they climbed the stairs slowly.

Half way up the first flight of stairs the most eerie voice either of them had ever heard came to them from an unidentifiable origin. It was Ari's voice, only it sounded like a hundred people were saying her words, causing a creepy echo effect.

"I can see you…I know everything…" She ended it in a whisper much like Tyson and Ray found it was logical that Tyson had had an unfortunate encounter with their witch of air. "If you come willingly it will be less painful…" Ari continued.

"Where are you?" Kai asked trying to buy some time.

"You've already guessed…I know you have…my shadows heard you…" There was a soft sound and a light erupted from nowhere in particular blinding them for a moment before they could see that they were surrounded buy about two dozen beautiful black butterflies. Then the light went out again and they found themselves even more uncomfortable than when they knew Gwen could pop out of mirrors Ari's 'shadows' were literally everywhere.

"I know everything…" Ari repeated. "Are you going to come willingly?" The voice asked. Kai was silent for a minute not sure weather to bend to her will the way Enni had to Gwen's but the searing slash that sliced across his back helped him make up his mind.

"Yeah I'm coming." He said trying not to wince, not wanting to show his weakness to her. But the thin trickle of blood down his back was hard to ignore. " I hope you get out of this alive." He muttered to Ray before running off taking the stairs two at a time.

Enni held his breath; not sure if he could in fact breathe in…wherever he was at the present time. He took his chances and inhaled. There was nothing different between this air and that of the outside world, wherever that was right now. He had yet to summon the courage to open his eyes. He forced himself to think of Gwen's face, Ari and Sid… Taking another deep breath (happy that he could actually do so) he opened his eyes. There was nothing around him, nothing but dark broken occasionally by the odd beam of rippling light.

"Welcome Enni." Gwen said and he turned to look at her, her eyes still held the same dead look as before.

"I'm not entirely sure where I'm being welcomed into." He answered.

"This Enni, is where I belong, I can separate myself from Ceridwen here without any fear or worry that she will be taken. I can look out on the world from here and get rid of those I dislike, those I don't want to exist. I can take those I love in here with me. This, Enni, is our new home, neither of us can ever fully leave this place alive…"

Tno: Yes I do realize that Gwen is totally mental and so are the others though you haven't seen them horror movie style yet…mwahahahahahahahahaha. Oh and I may be getting rid of an important character because I'm pissed off with J.K. Rowling for who she killed off in the new Harry Potter book. Why couldn't she just kill off the half blood prince, then I would have invited you all to my place for a really huge party. Instead I'm going to kill off ………ha, HA! You thought I was going to say the name huh. Well I'm not so you can all get stuffed. Now the warning that I place above about the horror element, well the same will apply to he next chappie so you can't say I didn't warn you. Later my little Jub-Jubs (whatever they are.)

Clarence: I have to say that yes….I am mental but I love it! As you reader knows I had no idea about this chapter until it popped up in my inbox this morning (August 8, 8:42 am is the current time) anyway Tno I must say I love the changes. And like you readers out there I can't wait for the next chapter.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9:

**Tno: Well, well, wasn't the last chappie a dozy. Oh yes, yes. Well now our little horror movie continues possibly to the end and possibly not, you never know this may just lead to the end of the first book of the _As One Trilogy_… though I do have yet to kill off an important character (which Clarence wishes to discus with me), and if I have my way, it'll be someone important that everyone loves…that's right I'm not going to be a pussy and just kill off the bad guys like an normal pussy. I'M GOING TO KILL OFF… ha thought I was going to slip up there didn't ya!**

Chapter 9:

Ray was finding himself in a reluctant state of relaxation as he came closer and closer to the centre of what appeared to be a flower guardian growing. No! _Thriving_, in the frozen black water. He wasn't sure but he had thought on occasion that something had brushed across his leg but the fact that both of his legs were numb from the cold liquid around them and there were a lot of plants around, or at least that's what he was sure they were. Ari's dark mist was rather inconvenient. He thought of how he would find Sid when he finally reached her, what would this thing have done to her. The image of Gwen drowning behind the rippling glass pushed itself into his head again no matter how hard he tried to push it away.

Something was making him dizzy. Was it the fact that he was catching pneumonia, or was it the haunting sent that was now strong around him hypnotising him? He though he saw a butterfly soar in an eagle like fashion by one of the blank mirrors before he stumbled closing his eyes feeling weariness forcing itself on him. He wanted so bad to just let it take over to just fall into this dark fairy world surrounding him and be lost…

Kai ran up the stairs more out of fear of what he was leaving behind than a desire to face what was awaiting him. Reaching the attic and panting hard he realised that there was no water here. He felt his feet begin to tingle as minimal warmth allowed the blood to flow more freely in his veins. In the back of his mind he wondered vaguely how Enni could live in a room without at least a half-a-dozen mirrors. Ari on the other hand, he expected her to hate looking in mirrors not liking much about herself to begin with she certainly wouldn't want to have to 'face' herself an more often than she already had too. The door was open and he slowly walked inside, intending to keep his eyes looking directly ahead, he didn't want to show any kind of weakness in himself. 'If they know you're afraid than your battle is already lost'. Kai hatefully remembered that saying from the many hours Voltair had spent drilling it into his head as a small child.

"So many of them…" Came Ari's ghostly whisper and as he entered the room he found himself unable to keep to his emotionless resolution. The room was as dark as the rest of the house although the butterflies were shinning really brightly for glow in the dark stickers but looking up he felt his heart skip a beat. Hanging from each butterfly was a glowing cocoon. Some were 'hatched'. Splayed open and spewing blackness. He was then aware of a heartbeat. Loud and yet at the same time it seemed faint, weak. He looked to the other side of the room. (Forcing himself to in a way). Ari was motionless. Suspended over her bed by thick ivory ropes of cocoon silk. She looked more like a doll, in an odd sort of sleep he guessed.

"So many shadows." Her voice breathed, her mouth did not move. He took a step forward and her eyes suddenly shot open.

"Ray…Ray." A seductive cooing version of Sid's voice came to him. His vision swam back into focus and he looked up at Sid who was sitting on top of him. In any other situation he would have really been enjoying the position in which he found himself presently, but now…

He tried to sit up but she pinned him back down almost the way she had with Enni, but with less of a naïve attitude as though she no longer wanted to play games.

"Ray. You came her for something, that much I know. I won't let you leave until you tell me what that is." She purred. Her catty ways were still very present but her attitude had changed. "Are you going to tell me Ray?" She leaned down against his neck. "Or will I have to take it from you?"

"Take what from me?" He asked wanting to keep his voice level but finding it hard with her nibbling delicately at his neck.

"Don't start those games Ray. I like different games now." She whispered locking lips with his for a brief moment.

"I still don't know what you're talking about." He gasped. He forced himself to believe he didn't want more. She wasn't doing this because she wanted too. She was being controlled more or less. He breathed sharply when she bit down on the tender part of his collar bone, near his neck.

"Then I'll just have to show you won't I." He felt her hand slide down his torso and sink into his pocket. She was going for the perfume bottle, that much he was working out, but in the meantime let's just say there was something else she was reaching for too. Ray groaned. Oh, he had to get away now. He always appreciated challenges when it came to women (one of the many reasons he was always chasing Ari), but he couldn't handle being provoked.

"Give it to me Ray, and in return, you can have me." He glanced at her cat-like eyes. "You can have ALL of me…"

Enni rested on the back of the turtle that Gwen had brought him on. Several other's giants had floated by recently. Ignoring his presence as Gwen slept against his shoulder. He had been trying to think of a way out of here. Time stood still here it seemed. Every time he passed by a light shaft he discovered that it was actually a mirror. He had been staring at the lights for what seemed like hours, trying to discern the pattern of the house from them. He had seen Ray and Kai split up a little while ago which made him believe that time was slow in this place.

He sat up slowly trying not to wake Gwen who sat up with him.

"What is it Enni?" Her haunted voice sounded quiet.

"Gwen, don't you remember Sid and Ari, what about the guys, Tyson, Max? Ray? KAI?" Gwen looked at him blankly.

"I don't remember anything but your face and that I'm supposed to be with you. That's all I know."

"So you've forgotten everything?" He asked carefully.

"How can I forget memories I never had? I was born here and I'll die here."

"But you remember Ceridwen?"

"Of coarse I do. Ceridwen has been with me from birth as my sister. Enni it seems you have forgotten everything. You shouldn't have gone to that other world."

"But you said you can separate from Ceridwen here-."

"I don't want you going out there again. I have a bad feeling about that place…DON'T GO THERE AGAIN!" She commanded…

Kai stopped, unsure what to do next. Her eyes were black like two holes ready to swallow him.

"So many shadows." She repeated.

"Ari I'm here to help you."

"You never wanted to help me Voltaire." Ari answered bitterly. "So many shadows…"

"I was betrayed by him too, Voltair killed my parents."

"Don't lie. You'll just make more shadows."

"I can't be because I'm telling the truth. I'm Kai. I promise." He had been inching forward slowly. He was now close enough to reach out and touch her face. Ari's lips moved slightly and he vaguely heard her repeat his name.

"That's right, Kai."

"Then why does the blood of my enemy run in your veins?"

"Because…" Kai trailed off seeing something protruding from behind Ari. Looking over her shoulder he saw a massive butterfly with wings the size of his shoulder blades perched on her spine. It's body was that of what looked like a dog-like dragon or something of the sort. He stopped staring at the red eyes watching him…

By the time Ray could gather enough sense to stop himself he had already rolled over on top of Sid feverishly kissing her. He hadn't cared that she had the bottle in her hands, nor had he cared that this wasn't really Sid. Maybe it was the lavender smell but as he fought back mentally he found it harder to stay conscious. He jumped off her, lunging for the bottle when something wrapped around his arm pulling him back and practically throwing him headfirst into the wood of the bed's headboard. It was scaly and smooth and looking around he kicked himself for not having registered all the snakes tangling around him. One gently spiralled up Sid's arm as she held it out to him. It hissed and lunged, just shy of his face, making him flinch. How had he known he was going to die a player.

"Don't worry, this one has no venom. He only pretends to be vicious…like you're just pretending you don't want me." She hissed more cat-ish than snake-like.

"You're not Sid first off and even then I wouldn't sleep with you because if you WERE Sid, I'd have been crucified for having tried to get in your pants like that."

"Well if I'm not Sid who am I?"

"That's a good question, who are you?" Ray retorted, he had to keep talking if he was going to stay conscious and the other option was giving into her (which he figured would end in his death).

"Who do you want to be with right now Ray?" The line was cheesy in a way, but it wasn't Sid saying it so he could forgive her. He looked at her for a minute. Maybe he could get her back with this.

"Sid! I want to talk to Sid." He saw it, for a brief moment her eyes had gone back to normal. He could win yet…

"I have Voltair's blood because I am his grandson Ari. But I swear to you that I am Kai."

"I don't trust you."

"I won't lie to you Ari. I promise." He kept eye contact with the creature on her back the whole time knowing that this was what he was taking to. It wanted to control Ari and so he would call it by Ari's name. He hadn't however been totally oblivious to the fact that Ari's body was trying to conrol itself. He had distinctly heard Ari ask for his help a little while ago but ignored it. This was going to get complicated soon.

"So many shadows. You have so many shadows." This was getting annoying, time to try something new.

"Yes I have a lot of them and Ari does too."

"Because you gave them too me."

"I said Ari has shadows. Whatever you are you ARE NOT ARI!" Kai braced himself for the creature to attack him but instead it was Ari herself who attacked him…

"I need to go on the other-side for a while Gwen."

"No!"

"I have a good reason. Trust me, nothing will happen."

"No Enni."

"Gwen listen to me, you aren't yourself. I can help but I have too-."

"NO!"

"And how will you stop me. You don't control me."

"My friends won't let you abandon me." The turtles that had been circling through this world suddenly began to come closer attracted by the distress of their creator. Enni looked around carefully.

"What if I took you to the other side with me? Would you feel better?"

"Not really."

"Believe me, I know what I'm doing, just come with me."

"What's wrong with here?"

"It's not where I belong."

"You idiot, you've always been here."

"You've lost it."

"How dare you." Gwen began to float above the shell of the turtle they were currently sitting on. (This is not hard since they're more or less floating in water-ish type stuff).

"I'm tired of this, I'm sick of always trying to save you just so you can become something worse. I know it's not you but I can only keep up with so much. Now someone else is in the picture and it's driving me insane." Enni almost shouted. Gwen looked hurt and angry.

"If I'm really that terrible then I don't want you here. Don't ever return to this world or you will die…"

Ari took another swipe but it was restrained. She was fighting a losing battle against that thing stuck to her back. This time Kai caught Ari's arm as it came sailing weakly through the air, swivelling her around so he was staring at the creature on her back. It tried to turn it's head around to look at him but was unable to (apparently it's not weird enough to pull and exorcist move).

"I knew it." The creature almost laughed. "It's Voltaire all over again isn't it? I know you now."

"I'm not hurting you Ari. I know we've had our differences but this thing is lying to you. Who do you believe?" Ari had started convulsing violently struggling with pain

"I believe in protecting myself." The creature retorted

"I was talking to Ari so SHUT UP!" Ari began to retch, blood spewing from her mouth

"I'm part of Ari now, we are one and you are no longer welcome" Ari gave up finally falling to her knees.

"GET OUT OF MY HEAD!" She screamed grabbing Kai's arm with her free hand desperately.

Kai grinned sadistically at the creature now looking up at him from where it was still attached to Ari's spine. This would be over soon…

"Sid? That's funny, I always thought you wanted to get with Ari. But OK if that's what you want?"

"I never said I wanted to screw Sid. I said I want to talk to her." Ray retorted.

"I don't really do talking. At least not that kind."

Ari had begun screaming from upstairs. Sid had begun to get rather voluptuous again. It was becoming clear that whatever was controlling her wanted it's vessel to be the one in control and unfortunately it had to be through womanly charm his biggest weakness.

The only problem was that if he tried to argue or to get her to come back to being the real Sid he found himself slipping further and further from conciseness. So what if he tried to do the opposite and let her be just long enough for the snakes to let go of him then he could turn this all around.

It started to work and eventually the snakes let go. As soon as they slackened their grip he jumped forward on top of Sid slamming her arms into the mattress above her head. He kissed her again the way he had before but this time he was completely in conrol of himself and her. And this time he was making her angry.

"WAKE UP SID!" He shouted. "Come on, I know you don't wanna do anything so wake up and slap me already."

"I-she-Sid…I-am…I AM SID!"

"No I want the real Sid…I want the Sid that would kick my ass for this…The one that cares for her friends who need her."

"I…am…I…get…off."

"Come on Sid they need help too so hurry up and come back."

"I…need...help…

"I'm not leaving here without you."

"I'll never go out there again. NEVER!"

"I don't remember giving you a choice Gwen." Enni retorted. The turtle they were on agitated by the girl's rising temper had begun to move more swiftly. It moved deftly towards one of the shafts of light, the mirror covered in plants. Enni grabbed one of Gwen's delicate, fragile arms that were still amazingly strong. The next thing she knew, Enni had jumped through the mirror bringing her with him.

As his feet landed in ankle deep water Enni realised that that was as far as he could go. Gwen was still on the other side, Half her arm in the real world and half in her imaginary world. He thrust his arms back through the mirror as she twisted around. He grabbed her around her waist from behind as the mirror began to harden around them…

Kai reached down grabbing the thing around the middle and pulling. It shrieked and dug deeper, it's voice becoming less and less like Ari's that was screaming in intense pain. He let go wondering if it was such a good idea after all to use brute force. That was all he knew. All he was used to. He looked down at the thing burn marks had appeared where his hand had been. But Ari's skin was fine.

"What do I…?" An idea occurred to him and he hopped that he wasn't going to get killed for this later but…He knelt down by Ari and wrapped his arms around her, it was an embrace really. Definitely something Kai wasn't used to but he could feel the thing dying against his arms. The hissing of the stickers burning off the ceiling occurred to him and he prayed that the house wouldn't burn down because of this. Ari began making noises of pain, no longer able to scream having lost her voice. She dug her nails into him blond still trickling from the corner of her mouth.

Then it was all over…there was nothing left there was no darkness left upstairs anyway the shrieking of the shadows had silenced…in fact the only sound was Ari's gasps of agony as she collapsed showing on her back the black image of two intricate butterfly wings burned into her skin. She was crying raw tears of relief but she didn't dare move…

Ray heard Enni struggling with Gwen somewhere nearby and the darkness was slowly beginning to thin it seemed. Or more likely it was his imagination. He continued to persist as Sid conflicted with herself. The snakes were a clear sign of that. They were beyond confused, receiving mixed messages of weather or not to attack.

"RAY! S-STOP THIS. GET OFF ME!" The voice sounded more real. More like Sid. But he had to be sure.

"Ray I swear to God…Oh my head…AAAH!" She closed her eyes as she released the controlling presence inside her. Not entirely convinced Ray held the bottle of lavender under he nose. Then it was like a seen from a movie. Her eyes blanked for a moment her torso arching pulled upwards by some invisible force as the snakes disintegrated as did the plants and Ray was almost certain he saw something leave her body. But now he was definitely sure that Sid was back.

Enni pulled backwards with all the strength he possessed. The hardened mirror cracked but that didn't stop him from seeing the Turtles congregating in front of it. Gwen was coming back but they weren't going to let her escape them with her life. Enni gathered his strength and tried one more time. The mirror shattered as the turtles came centimetres away from their victim. Gwen fell through the mirror as it sliced at her back. She landed in the water unconscious and barley breathing. The water level began to go down it's black silkiness evaporating. It was all over. Max Came upstairs saying something about Tyson not being able to come back into the house and the fact that the sun was starting to rise.

By the time Sid came too, she was alone in her room, the smell of lavender was still strong. She kept to herself the memory of what she had done under the control of the intruder in her mind. It was embarrassing.

Almost the way Kai pretended he had never been slightly affectionate to anyone and Ari didn't say anything. She wanted to forget any of this had a happened.

Gwen had actually forgotten. The memory of everything she had done was lost. She had been the one hit with the strongest ability we could say. She had been able to creat her own world, but having been knocked out for several hours, no one thought now was the best time to tell her.

Ray never spoke of what had happened between himself and Sid. To him it hadn't meant anything since she wasn't being herself and he was after all perusing Ari.

Enni was…less discrete. He wanted to know what happened exactly amongst everyone so he could analyse it though he never spoke about Gwen's ordeal in front of her for her mental health.

In the end all's well that ends well…for now…because Gwen's story has yet to finish. OOOOOH YEAH! We've still got all the fun Halloweeness to go through, people hooking up with other people…maybe a few actual REAL lemons somewhere down the road…hang on this is starting to sound like an A/N…be right back…

**Tno: THAT'S BETTER. Anyhoo like I was saying, if your good little reviewers I promise you at least two…maybe three lemons...and a milkshake…or some chocolate. Yeah and we still have Christmas. A special guest appearance (a couple really) some Voltair and his bitch Boris moments, not to mention the grand finally with a few doodads here and there. So good night dear Emu and Emuette (it is currently 11:59 p.m. for moi).**


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